It can also help to kill yeast and parasites which improves digestion, and it can also boost your immune system to fight infections!

Coconut Oil is Great for Acne If Used Internally!

My favourite way to use coconut oil is in my cooking. Instead of olive oil, canola oil, or any other random oil, it’s best to use coconut oil – not just because of the health properties, but because it has a very high smoke point.

Many oils (including olive oil) mutate and turn toxic when they are heated to medium or high heats. You don’t want that – damaged, toxic oils can have a very adverse affect on your skin.

However, coconut oil is more stable and can withstand higher heat, leaving you with a much healthier meal.

Okay, great. But what about using it directly on the skin?

Using Coconut Oil on the Face to Treat Acne

I’ve been getting a nutty amount of questions lately in regard to using coconut oil on the face.

This is because there are many a review out there on the internet RAVING about how awesome coconut oil is for their skin. It helps to clear acne, heal wounds, and moisturize their skin to a silky state.

So people want to know from me… is it legit? Should they use it?

To be honest… the answer is NO!

I would definitely have no problem using it as a moisturizer for my body, but I’ve never used it on my face. Frankly, I’m too scared to try it.

While many people love using coconut oil topically, the fact is that it’s very comedogenic (meaning pore clogging). On a scale of one to five, with five being the most comedogenic, coconut oil is a four!

One of the most concrete reasons I’m too freaked out to give it a try is because of some articles that Fran from High on Health posted a while ago about her experiences with coconut oil.

She wrote a post telling people that she was using coconut oil on her face and that it was going well, and that she LOVED IT!

But then she later does a follow up post in which she says it triggered quite a breakout, all her pores became clogged, and it took her skin months to recover. She even calls it a ‘nightmare’.

I’ve actually heard this story a fair few times from others as well.

Everyone Is Different, So….

Then again, no two people’s skin or bodies are exactly alike.

No matter what the product or ingredient (or food for that matter), some will love it, and there will always be people out who happened to have had the worst experience of their life with it.

The thing with coconut oil though is that it’s probably fine… IF you aren’t acne prone, which is why you hear so many wonderful things about it being used a moisturizer.

If you are acne prone (and I assume you are if you are reading my site), then you might have luck with it, but I’d stay away.

And don’t get me wrong… I love using oils in my skin care, just not coconut oil.

However, if you are a braver soul than I and would like to give it a try anyway, absolutely make sure that you are using unrefined, organic, virgin coconut oil. Then if it clogs your pores and breaks you out, you will know it wasn’t the cheap quality or pesticides causing you issues.

What do you think? Have you tried coconut oil on your face? Did you love it? Hate it? If not, would you try it? Or have I freaked you out enough to not touch it?

I’ve been greasing up with coconut oil from head to toe for about six months now… Silky smooth skin. And… I’m just doing it because it’s good for you. Not one pimple, rash, or dry area. Coconut oil use internally can lead to a detox reaction. So, coconut oil topically may as well. Once these people got the “eruptions” they should have ridden it out. Coconut oil would have helped the detox reaction go away as well….

Hi Clint,
My wife has been trying to ride it out for about 5 months now. She eats mostly grass fed meat & organic veggies for the last few years and doesn’t have much fat on her.
It started small with roughening of the skin a week or two after she added it to her diet, and the last 4-6 weeks has been really bad. So it seems to be getting worse rather than better.
We’re going to drop it for now and see if it clears up.

Let me know how it works out. Curious. She’s not putting it on topically then? Did she change anything else when she added it to her diet? Check out Coconut Cures by Bruce Fife. I’ve been telling people about coconut oil ever since reading it. I have about sixty people taking it now with no drawbacks, except three people didn’t lose weight so they stopped taking it. Also, check out the documentary on Netflix, Fords over Knives…

Hey D,
You might want to look into what is in your soaps, shampoos, and toothpaste. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (and variants) can cause dermatitis of the skin. I developed a sudden sensitivity to SLS and parabens and my skin roughened, scaled, and blistered over the course of six months before I managed to figure out what it was.
Also, putting oil on that was a BAD move. It reacted even worse to any sort of natural oil (even virgin, organic olive or coconut oil) because it just feeds the imbalance in the skin.

Hey N,
I have had the same problem as you, my fingers are bright red, scaley, and blistery! I think its the sensitivity to my dish washing soap… so I have to wear gloves or my fingers will be very inflamed and develop tiny bumps that itch! Thanks for your info about SLS, I think that also contributed to my hands bc I began to notice they werent getting that much better by wearing gloves.. switched to a SLS free shampoo.. thanks so much. I have already seen a difference on my fingers

Please look into the preservative MI, it was listed as one of the top contact chemical allergies in the past few years. This is an a recitation for the scientific word ( which is very long) you will see it Lester at the bottom of most shampoos conditioners, dish detergents, lotions , make up paints , glues etc. it causes a horrible blistering itching reaction mostly in hands at first ( like poison ivy) I avoid this preservative and my life is completely changed – coconut oil has been a his end for me

I have been using top of the line coconut oil. Unrefined, virgin, organic coconut oil. Going on 10 months. I swear by it and am amazed by how it has helped me in so many ways. I have my kids using it and my teenager hasn’t had a breakout since starting. I believe that it isn’t a moisturizer as much as it is a healer and preserver. Since I use this every day from head to toe I have noticed it isn’t necessarily drying me out, it just doesn’t moisturize. So, I use a bit of grapeseed ol right after and it is A-MAZ-ING! it’s healed up some massive grease burns on my brother to the point of disappearing and everything else you could imagine. LOVE IT!

Hi Clint!
I know for a lot of people coconut oil may work on their body or face…but it is a comedogenic oil, meaning that it will clog your pores, particularly if you have large ones, this is not an external detox. Some oils as good as they are for other things are not meant for the face. People want to make coconut oil the “miracle” oil…and we have to just be real and realize that for some it is not especially since it is a comedogenic pore clogging oil….here is one link to show you that it is indeed clogging to pores. https://www.beneficialbotanicals.com/facts-figures/comedogenic-rating.html

Yeah I find it very clogging. I NEVER get pimples on my back ever then I used coconut oil to condition my hair and have been trying to get it out for days and it wont come out. My hair sits on my back and from the oil in it, it clogged the pores on my back and I got one white head right where my hair lies on my back. That gave me a sign to never use this on my hair again or try it on my face. Seems to clog pores and make my hair so oily.

From what I’ve heard you should avoid using to much, you should only put a tiny bit on your finger. ( a little goes a long ways and,one pimple is nothing compared to what most people have (including me)

I 1000% agree about the coconut oil detoxifying your skin! I have used it for about 3 days now consistently and I have a breakout— BUT, this is this only breakout I have welcomed. I understand that there are impurities in my face that are trying to come out of my pores which has lead to my breakout as expected. I say this is the most welcomed breakout because I KNOW this is going to help clear my skin once I ride out the “walking around with acne face,” which by the way I am old enough not to care about acne (as long as I know that I am taking the proper measures to truly and purely treat and resolve it.
Good luck with the coconut oil, unrefined extra virgin seems to be a winner for me. 😉

Don’t be a fool, I thought the same this stuff worked for me for the first 2 weeks and I loved it but after the 3 week I broke out in CYSTIC acne all over my face in places I never break out it was the worst acne of my life and I’ve had some pretty severe breakouts but this one was so bad I had to go to a dermatologist and get INJECTED because my face was DISFIGURED it was swollen it was 3 times its size and so painful, my dermatologist said it was indeed the coconut oil and to stop using immediately, DO NOT USE COCONUT OIL

Yes, it is VERY true.. Coconut oil is very comedogenic for the face. It has a comedogenic rating of 4. I decided to try it anyway, I am not prone to breakouts or acne… but trying coconut oil out on my face, made me look like I had acne after a couple weeks. I’m in LOVE with Rosehip Oil from Trilogy though, and Hemp Seed Oil. More linoleic acid and no breakouts AT ALL. 🙂

I was using coconut oil on my face for months and it worked great. Then I moved to a different climate and I suddenly began breaking out. I am 33 and have never had an acne problem. I do have sensitive skin sometimes and have had to change my moisturizer before because my skin would suddenly start burning. I stopped using the coconut oil and after four months of nightmare skin my face seems to be somewhat normal. African black soap saved my life! I still use coconut oil to moisturizer my body though and haven’t had a problem.

I used extra virgin coconut oil for on my face after reading several good reviews on the net. The first week was good but after a couple of weeks, my skin became so dry and scaly. Then after a month or so, i noticed that my few cystic acnes that i was trying to get rid of, were multiplying in numbers and size. Oh my gosh !!!! That was a real nightmare !! I had to stop completely using coconut oil and it took me almost 2 months to get rid of the acnes..Thanks to MANUKA honey that became my miracle acne killer. I would never advice anybody to use coconut oil on the face after what i have been through, ( it was sooo scary) !!

I am having the same experience. I started to eat a tablespoon of extra virgin organic coconut oil per day due to all the benefits I read about, when suddently I stated to break out with cystic acne! I have never had this in my life. I stopped using it and the problem immediately improved. However, I wanted to give it one more try and so for the last few days have reintroduced it to my diet, and lo and behold, the cystic acne is returning! Also, some parts of my face have become dry and scaly as mentioned in the above post. Not nice at all, and such a shame as there are so many other touted benefits. Can anyone explain why this happens??

Actually the oils can congest the liver as does most fat (fatty liver after awhile) so the liver does it job less effectively and thus acne can increase. Oils don’t magically detox anything it’s just proccessed fat, as Sean said the liver does that job and it does it best when you’re eating healthy wholesome foods.

Dry scaly skin is very norm because the old skin get slaughter off by coconut oil. It took me several month of on/off of this stuff. At one point I almost gave up because it doesn’t do jack but giving me itches. My work required much driving and the skin on my face and arms are all screwed up. Been using CCO for almost a year(not daily) now and my skin feel and look like a teenage. Sun and aging spots are practically disappear. I can’t say much about acne because I got some blackhead breakout on facial too. I just read about sun light causes pimple to breakout. I’ll try CCO at night and wash it well with clean&clear in morning and some oil remover throughout the day,,,will see. BTW, if anyone want to improve your sex, put CCO on “you know what” and in few months it’ll return it to like-new condition, lol.

The combination of raw cold pressed coconut oil and non iodized pure sea salt as a scrub. For face and body. Exfoliation and moisturizer in one. I have had great results except for that time I drank way to much coca cola. Be wise about what you eat and most importantly. If that doesn’t work cater your diet to your blood type.

I just wanted to throw something out there. I’m know skin expert, but I have a theory. I’m Italian so naturally my skin is quite oily. In fact it thrives oily. Every winter my skin becomes very dry and consequently I experience more breakouts. So! I think for us out there who have Mediterranean skin actually benefit from cleansing with a more oil based cleanser, like coconut oil. I find that when I use alcohol based products my skin does okay for a while, but always ends up going haywire. Maybe fairer skinned individuals benefit more from those products than they would from a product as heavily oiled as the coconut oil. I’m not sure that’s just my theory! Maybe it will give you all some insight. Or the courage to experiment and try it out!

I’ve been using virgin coconut oil for 4 days in my face and body. The result is:
A. Body: great! It very moisturizing even after i take shower, my skin still feel moisturized. I use it on my hands, leg, elbow and ankle. I also love the smell!
B. Face: it makes ny face glow. I only use it at night. On 1st and 2nd when i woke up my face feel moisturized. On 3rd and 4th day, still feel moisturized but there’s few little bumps on my face. Well i read that coconut oil is comedogenic and too bad, i think i should stop before my face got worse. Still use it on body and gonna try it on hair, but BIG NO NO to use it on face anymore.

Stop using it on your face! That’s how my cystic acne started with a few little tiny bumps but I kept using it and my whole face broke out in cystic acne. It was a nightmare it was so bad I had to get injected

I don’t know about coconut oil, but if I consume cocounut milk or coconut cream, it always causes terrible acne like no other food I know of. It’s like clockwork. Doesn’t matter the brand of coconut, organic etc.

I read that the Extra Virgin Coconut Oil doesn’r clog pores. The regular one because it is heated is comedogenic. Too afraid to try it though. I cut out dairy and wheat from my diet and 1 1/2 weeks later my inflammatory acne is under control Don’t want to risk it. I drink coconut milk though. Still getting my coconut benefit internally.

I also cut out dairy and wheat. 1.5 weeks into it my skin looked like it was making an improvement, but now tomorrow is two weeks and I have two going on three inflamed zits! What happened with you? Did it work, did you continue to not eat dairy and wheat? Did you find that either wheat or dairy (one or the other) was the culprit, or both? I’d be interested to know your experience!

Be very careful drinking non-diary milk. Most have additive called “carrageenan” as thickener agents. Derived from seaweed, like MSG, it has been known to causes cancer, triggered autoimmune and increase your sensitivity to your allergen. Do research. I learned this after my food allergy symptoms continue getting worst despite my strict healthy diet, especially after I drank these stuff.

I was told by my naturopath that “like cures like”. In that spirit, it makes sense that if your skin is naturally oily, you would use oil to attract the oil off the surface of the skin. I use coconut oil to remove my cosmetics, then I follow with a warm cloth wipe off. After that, I moisturize with 100% aloe vera from the health food store. It is runny, but it dilutes the remaining coconut residue and leaves my skin feeling soft, and the pores feel as though they can breath. I only have about 1TB of oil a day, I don’t always use Coconut, sometimes I use peanut or avocado. My skin looks much better than it used to and my make up comes off like a dream.
That said, if your skin is naturally dry, your pores likely aren’t large, and it makes sense that too much oil would potentially aggravate or offend it, causing a breakout. I think everything in moderation!! Good luck with it!

Coconut oil has been amazing for breakouts. Rub it in and then scrub off with hot washcloth. THEN wash with a simple soap like Nutrogena or something to get it off so it does’t sit on ur face. Acne clears up, blackheads surface, and it is great. I recommend it. However, the pills did have a severe detox on me and my skin erupted instantly. It was horrible so I can’t go through that so I stopped the pills and continued with the Virgin refined coconut oil. My skin is fine now. Virgin refined coconut oil that has a creamy texture is what works. Not coconut oil for cooking. Your skin will not be moisturized because the oil is 50% lauric acid. It is seriously great on acne. I had a zit, washed with the oil, and it went away within minutes. My zit was gone! I get mine at Fresh N Easy.

Like many others, it was great for the first week and then things got very bad! ;( I still use it on my body as my moisturizer and as we speak, I have some sweet potato fries baking in the oven covered in coconut oil! YUM!

I wonder why this drying thing after using the CO for a while seems to occur in many people. I thought my experience was just a fluke, but now that I hear others have had the same thing, it leads me to believe that it might be some sort of detox healing reaction.

I accidentally stopped washing my face when I lost my face wash and only used a wash cloth and water for a long time and surprisingly my acne actually went away. I use castor oil/olive oil mix to wipe off makeup but other than that I just use water now. Works great! The acne on my forehead is gone and my blackheads (mostly on nose and chin) are clearing up too. Apparently my face didn’t like my face wash and that’s why I had acne, haha.

I tried it. For three months. Gave me a terrible breakout. Lots of inflammations that that left slowly fading pigmentation scars. However, it was very effective at fading old scars and also at clearing whiteheads. Totally not worth it, though.

My advice for anyone who tries it is to get some serious assistance with the exact process of application. I did not have this and found it very hard to glean the method from information on the internet. Had I done it differently, I might have had a better result.

I was one of those asking about the coconut oil a while back after finding your post on healing crisis, since then I have taken the coconut oil out completely (could never cook with/eat it as it gives acid reflux) and gone back to the simple honey wash with jojoba oil moisturizer and voila, no more problems. As scary as it is to try new things like this, we can never truly know for sure without taking the chance. Thanks again for your help and the links to high on health, good luck with your moves to Australia! Cheers, Cat

I’m wondering – could using a “heat resistant” olive oil be contributing to my acne? Could the oil still be turning into trans fats / oxidized? we usually get this olive oil at costco.

I’ve also been reading a lot about high raw. I’m thinking that perhaps incorporating a green smoothie everyday would be a good idea (i know it’ll be tough but…) but have you ever tried having just all out raw food?

or do you think I should just stick with cooking some but using COCONUT oil instead? my mom just keeps saying that “too much oil is bad for you” and she’s sort of been making me fear having coconut oil …. -.-

I’ve never heard of heat resistant olive oil… are you frying with it? If so, it may still be going toxic at those super high temperatures. I would definitely switch to coconut oil for cooking, it’s way healthier. Don’t listen to your mom 😉

As for high raw…. I remember getting a bit into high raw when was first trying to figure out the best way to eat for me… it didn’t last very long (seriously…. in order to get enough calories, you have to be eating like. all. day.), but I do think some raw foods is important! The thing is that many raw vegetables are really tough and hard to digest (broccoli, etc), so I think jumping into a high raw diet and trying to eat all sorts of tough veggies right off the bat will not be helpful. Smoothies are great because they pre-chew for you so it solves the problem…. and soft salads with tomato, cucumber, bell peppers, sprouts etc are also awesome.

Hi Jeff… funny, I used to watch Natasha’s videos all the time. She’s probably the one who made me think I needed to eat raw in order to get clear. I’m not discouraging eating lots of raw foods (because they’re good for you), just that I think it takes a shitload of discipline and can be hard to digest for many, and in the end, the raw vegan diet is deficient in lots of nutrients that are best absorbed from animal products. Natasha ended up with a severe vitamin b12 deficiency (which happens to lots and lots of raw vegans after a year or two on the diet) and now she eats animal products. She actually eats, basically, the paleo diet now (although she doesn’t call it that).

I also had the brilliant idea once that I would just eat green smoothies all day. That lasted like two days hahah. I don’t think my body likes that much fruit. But hey… give it a try if you want!

hmm. i just watched her first few videos while on the high raw and she sounded so enthusiastic and happy that her skin was healing super fast and such … i’ll have to watch more videos, i guess.

i think for now i’ll just try this green smoothie thing for like a week and see how it goes. i’m varying the things I put in it as well – it’s not just fruit stuff. it’s mainly spinach, carrots, nuts, aloe vera juice, any berries, and avocado. it’s basically like your green smoothie video post.

do you still do your daily green smoothie? and if so how much do you think it helped you with your skin after you started?

Well it is a really healthy diet so I can imagine it would help your skin a lot! Raw diets replace almost all grains and beans and other things that people use as filler (but are no where near as nutritious as vegetables) with vegetables. So yeah, that’s a heck of a lot of nutrients that are great for the skin. It was just frickin hard to do, in my opinion.

I think the green smoothies definitely help my skin but I have no way to actually measure how much. I do notice a lack of energy when I don’t have them though so I know they make a difference…. I found the fruitless green smoothies with all the fat in them (that I was doing on my candida cleanse/paleo thing) to be a bit too dense though. Like… really heavy. I’m back to fruity green smoothies and I like them a lot better, (as far as enjoyment in drinking them and how they make me feel after having them)

the past .. 24 hours or so I’ve had about …. 6-7 cups of the smoothies that I’ve made … I don’t feel that tired at all, even though I had school today. Other than that, I’ve had some soup and that’s all. hah. I wonder if I’ll continue to have this kind of energy!

Lately I’ve been using lots of blueberries, blackberries, usually a nectarine, lots and lots of greens (usually kale), 3-4 tablespoons of psyllium husk, water, and half an avocado to make it filling – usually I don’t feel good mixing fruit with anything fatty, but avocado seems to be okay and it keeps me fuller until lunch! I’m really enjoying my smoothies these days!

As for Natasha’s book, yes I did buy it, and yes it has some good pointers, but probably nothing you haven’t already learned here. It’s basically like…. don’t eat sugar, wheat, drink a lot of water…. don’t use harsh chemicals on your face…. eat vegetables. hahah…. something like that.

gotcha. thanks for the pointer… I’ll probably save the money and buy your book … is it coming out soon (or is it out already..?)

so basically you drink the smoothies in the morning for your breakfast … is that all? what do you usually have for lunch and dinner? (i’m thinking maybe trying to copy your diet would solve all the problems, lol … but we have different bodies though, … maybe that’s a sliight problem).

I’ve been using coconut oil on my face and it used to make my face very soft and radiant and help with acne too. However, recently, I have been breaking out and I’m not sure whether it’s due to the coconut oil or my changing sleeping schedule. And now that the clogged pore concern was mentioned… I’ve been getting lots of clogged pores/blackheads and whiteheads recently. Maybe I should lay off on the coconut for a while… I haven’t tried the jojoba oil yet so maybe I’ll give that a whirl

Also for the record I’ve been using jojoba oil for months and I find it to be fantastic! My skin tends to be dry (but still acne prone) and this stuff is great to remove makeup and then I can slap on some more to moisturize!

That’s weird… i’ve been using coconut oil on my face for the last 3 or 4 months and it’s perfect. I have a very sensitive and dry skin. Sometimes I have some blackheads and i do a facial sauna with camomile and a facial mask with honey and olive oil once a week. I’m going to pay attention to see if something strange happens.

I use a vanilla and orange scented coconut oil on my face. I used it all summer as a misturizer and ‘ foundation’ but I think being in the sun helped a lot too 🙂 the stuff I use is hand crafted by Liz Neves of Brooklyn, NY@ Raganella’s Botanical Solutions. I will have to see how it will work or help now during the cold season. I’m all for keeping acne away even at 50!

Hey Tracy, I’ve been using coconut oil as a night moisturizer for one month now 😐 I stopped using it a month ago, but am still dealing with the breakouts. I was fine the first week i used it, but the weeks after that, i keep waking up with a new pimple, even on the places i don’t break out at all. Do you have any suggestions? how long is this going to last? I am not doing anything right now, just washing my face with honey, i figure if i leave it alone the pores will eventually unclog themselves. Please give me some suggestions, I am freaking out!

Hi Neha!
I’m sorry you had a bad time with the coconut oil… I don’t know how long it’s going to last, but if it was caused by the coconut oil it will go away. A good jojoba oil might help to unclog them… you may be wary of oils now, but jojoba oil is different than others.. it’s actually a wax and the most similar to our own natural oils

Your skin is supposed to worsen prior to recovery because your skin is detoxifying it’s self with the applied cocnut oil on to open up your pores and cleanse all of the built up bacteria and other toxins from your cloged pores. If your not sure if your allergic to the organic based product apply the elbo and wait about 24hrs.

I tried it for a few months about a year ago. It broke me out horribly. However, I don’t think I used it right. I know now after your jojoba oil video how to cleanse with oil. I didn’t know that, then. I put a lot on, let it sit for an hour or two and only patted off the excess, I didn’t rinse it off. (This was in the winter.) So, if anyone out there is going to try it, don’t do it that way. Maybe it works if done differently. I won’t be trying it again. Jojoboa oil works just fine for me.

I have been using coconut oil with OCM for years and my skin (which used to break out a lot) has never been clearer!! FWIW, I also use a homemade honey almond scrub several times a week and I don’t moisturize with straight CO, I use a natural homemade lotion (which does have CO in it.

I used the oil cleansing method, using Castor Oil and Olive Oil, however after the first week I broke out BAD with bright red pimples and white heads. Strangely, the breakouts were all along my jawline and up my face to underneath my eye brows. Possibly an allergic reaction to one or both oils?
Just an FYI to others with sensitive skin!

Jen, I’m having the same result from OCM. Its been a few weeks since I stopped using the co, evoo & castor oil, but my face still looks horrible. It’s so depressing, I’ve never broken out this bad in my life. How long did it take you to get clear again? What did you use?

what type of coconut oil should i use for cooking?
there was 2 types at the store i shop at. One for high temp cooking and one for medium temp ( which was mentioned “something pressed” i remember watching one of your videos that mentioned pressed in it

It should be virgin, unrefined. Cold pressed is probably what you’re thinking of. Either way, even unrefined “medium” temp coconut oil can withstand high heat quite well. Don’t buy the refined stuff, even if they say it’s safer for cooking.

Sorry – the way I understand it, is that because, generally, when oils are heated, they go bad. Unless they are refined, because then it doesn’t matter since they are already bad anyway, therefore, they are fine to cook with at any heat, but not really because they are still bad even before you began cooking.

I have heard sometimes that they say ‘use unrefined for lower heat’ and ‘refined for higher’ … but with coconut oil, I don’t think it really matters, since I don’t believe it goes bad at high heat due to its saturated fat content. So buy unrefined – which is what they call virgin. If both of them were virgin – well, I don’t really know what the difference is between the ones they label medium and the ones they label high. Sorry :/

Read the info at tropical traditions dot com . Very educational. I think a lot of coconut oil being sold is substandard and plays onto the equation. Just like with olive oil, lots of cheating goes on to make a buck. A good quality expeller oil (properly refined) is completely healthy.

You are awesome! I was looking for information about coconut oil. I still have a question and wonder if you might be able to answer it.

Do you have an opinion about using coconut oil based cleanser/soap (e.g., Dr. Bonner’s or Dessert Essence Tea Tree Therapy Bar)? Since I’ve read coconut oil is highly comedogenic, I’ve always been confused about whether that should apply to it in a soap form.

I have oily skin that is prone to having a lot blackheads and some whiteheads. Almost nothing seems to be able to slough off all that sebum at the end of the day. Coconut oil soap seems to work wonders initially, though it dries me out. After a month of use, I noticed my black/white head and oiliness problems were still better, but I was starting to get more inflamed acne (at least one at all times), a rarity for me before. I still have hope for using coconut oil soap, but maybe I should try it in combination with other things? Any ideas? Maybe a good moisturizer like jojoba oil?

Also I wouldn’t suggest using any cleanser/soap on your face… use something gentle like honey or even nothing and all and just wash with your oil of choice. Or you don’t even have to wash your face at all… https://thelovevitamin.com/3135/caveman-regimen/ – might help you regulate your skin’s sebum production. Washing only makes it overproduce

I can’t be without my coconut oil! But only in my diet or on other parts of my body than my face. I tried it on my face with the same consequences as so many others. My skin’s just now recovering! Any oils or even essential oils do me in. Which is sad, since I’d love for them to work wonders. Love your insight and experiments, Tracy!

Hi Analisa – The whole ‘saturated fat is bad for you’ thing is a total myth that’s been regurgitated for years and now resides in public consciousness as truth when it’s not at all… http://chriskresser.com/heartdisease

Love this article. I have to say that I have used coconut oil on my face as an acne treatment and did not like the results 🙁 i got a lot of whiteheads afterwards that took forever to go away. I haven’t tried it since to confirm it was coconut oil but I’m pretty sure that it was. Having said that, however, I do consume it every day and love it! I also use it on my legs as a shaving oil 🙂

I’ve been a coconut oil fanatic for just over a year now. I use it on my entire body, including my face. I also have experienced it ‘drying me out’. I go back and forth between coconut oil & vitamin E oil (yes, on my face). I have acne prone skin & the use of these products have helped keep my acne under control. I should also mention that I use a facial exfoliater (you can find these at Target/Walmart/Walgreens)on my face each night when I wash it (Not a soap with exfoliating balls in it, an actual exfoliating pad). So this may be keeping my skin from becoming clogged from the oil. I use Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil.
It has also healed my son’s psoriasis on his scalp. 🙂

I love coconut oil so much, i’m now making my own. I use it a lot but as far as using it on my face, I only use it to remove my makeup. I don’t mind moisturizing my body and hair with it because it’s excellent but I would definitely break out if I left it on my face.

Like so many of you, I also used extra virgin organic coconut oil on my face and it was good for a week and then suddenly I had zits appear on my cheeks and chin and forehead. I have never had an acne problem but more importantly, I’ve never had zits on my cheeks ever. I won’t use it on my face anymore except on my eyes when I go to bed. And it removes makeup wonderfully. I have no problem putting it on the rest of my body though, including my neck. I don’t understand what is going on in the facial skin to cause breakouts whereas it is fine everywhere else.

I wonder if we used it as a nighttime moisturizer I day a week if it would work well for the facial skin recovery. Maybe everyday is the problem. Idk, haven’t tried this theory yet but I see that many of us were doing good for a week straight and then the zits came. Maybe the skin needs a break.

I had a better experience with organic hempseed oil on my face, but after around two weeks also got cheek acne. I think Im going to try every couple days routine and see what happens. Maybe I’ll switch between hempseed and coconut.

I tried coconut oil & i got the same problems. Skin actually dried out & began to break out.

I was told by an old Italian lady to use olive oil, not coconut oil. This woman had the most radiant skin at her old age, so i immediately gave it a try.

I’ve been using olive oil as a facial moisturizer daily for a year. My face has never been so clear and beautiful. I have struggled with acne my whole life. But, not since I’ve been using the miracle cure. Olive oil does not clog pores like coconut oil does. Olive oil actually helps draw the oil out of your pores, and it helps your skin regulate it’s secretion of sebum.

I will never EVER pay so much for facial products, when all you need is a clay mask & olive oil moisturizer. My face is radiant, and i am so happy i have found something that keeps my face clear & beautiful.

Hi Chica – I’m glad olive oil worked for you! I often hear about olive oil breaking people out too though… different oils for different people seems to be how it is. What kind of skin type do you have?

I used RMS Beauty Coconut oil facewash/eye make-up remover and their coconut oil based concealer and blush. BAD BAD IDEA. I feel bad for that company as they base all their products around coconut oil. It has severely clogged my pores for a long time now and my cheeks were never the same.
You know what! I never even messaged them to tell them my horror story. I should, shouldn’t I!?

I was wondering if anyone here has tried oregano oil. I have started reading really great things about taking it internally as well as application to the skin (when diluted, of course). Anyone tried it?

I really am shocked to see how many of you have a bad reaction to coconut oil. I am prone to breakouts and coconut oil is wonderful! For myself anyway. I have read that grape seed oil is great for people who are prone to acne breakouts. Maybe you can give that a try and see how that works for you. Also I’ve added MSM cream to my routine with great results! My face is smoother, more even toned and it’s reducing my scars! I smooth on MSM cream then add Coconut Oil over it twice a day. Love what it’s been doing for my skin! Just wanted to share my two suggestions and hopefully some of you can get great results too! Good luck!

MSM is an organic sulfur compound. MSM is required for healthy collagen and keratin which are essential for healthy hair, skin and nails. It literally regenerates skin tissue so it renews itself, diminishing scars and discoloration. It can also be taken orally which I have not done YET. MSM also has proven antioxidant benefits. Google ” MSM for acne” There is so much information that just might blow your mind that we haven’t heard much about this! Videos too!

Oh I forgot to add, I read someones experience with MSM cream online and she had deep crater like scaring on her face from acne. She said her face has become very smooth, even and soft and by looking at her you would now know she ever had an acne problem. This is what made me jump on the MSM cream! I’ve noticed results in under 2 weeks! It’s sad that this information is not everywhere for people to find…You really have to DIG for the right information. I know diet is extremely important too. Too many today have food allergies such as dairy and wheat that is absolutely contributing to their skin problems. Once you find the actual root cause, you can then fix the problems it left behind, otherwise you’ll spend your life chasing your tail! 🙂

Aimee,
Most definitely! Try completely eliminating all wheat/gluten from you diet for a couple weeks and see how you feel and how your skin looks. Just eliminate one allergen at a time so you know for sure what may be causing you trouble. Good luck, hopefully thats your problem and you will know right away whats been causing or contributing to your acne.

You could have a mild gluten intolerance but most likely it’s not a true intolerance. With all the pasteurization and processing done to most foods, it kills the digestive enzymes needed to aid the body in that process. Try taking digestive enzymes, NOT probiotics, although those are very important too, 30min-1hr before your meals. And make sure you are only eating complex carbs! I have adult acne. I have done literally almost everything. Iv’e done Vegan, Raw, vegetarian, organic, no dairy, no gluten, skin specific diets, ect.. Including all kinds of topicals, meds, essential oils, masks, ect. over the years. Skin specific diets in conjunction with all natural organic skin care worked the best but never cleared my skin. I recently found out that I have a mild case of PCOS. which can and almost always causes acne. I have been taking the meds for it for only a couple weeks and noticed a massive difference already!:) If you aren’t shy email me and I can help you create a specific skin diet just for you.

In case anyone is reading this, the drugs they prescribe for PCOS are birth control pills and Spironolactone. I was taking the bcp and the highest dose of Spiro for over ten years, and although my back acne cleared up initially, my digestive system worsened and I gradually developed very severe acne on my chin area. Eliminating all of the foods I’ve become intolerant to get rid of the acne has been very difficult, but it gave the confidence to get off of the Spiro and realize it was making matters worse…I definitely wouldn’t recommend going on it in the first place…

Besides that, being on the drugs greatly thinned my skin, gave me a ruddy complexion, dark circles, visible veins everywhere…I’m a tiny person and was taking a high dose of the Spiro and it really aged me…BEWARE. Don’t listen to the doctors like I did. Listen to your gut.

I wish I read this at first. I started using coconut oil as a moisturizer, but I am still breaking out. However, my forehead got clear. I had lots of pimples there. I break out just on cheeks and around mouth now which sucks. I am going to stop applying raw coconut oil on skin. I am just gonna use the Dr. Bronner soap again.

I can tell you from experience that Coconut oil helped my skin out for about 3 days after that it became increasingly oily. So I decided to do some research. I found out that although oils are great for you face your skin may overreact and start producing either more oils or less depending upon the person, which would result in a breakout. It’s not necessarily the product your using just how your skin reacts to it. I however have large pores and very sensitive skin, do I still use coconut oil on my face?, absolutely. I just incorporate it in with my homemade cleanser. I find I have the soft skin without the drying or oiliness from before. I hope this helps for some of you.

I use Nutiva Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. I have had acne for many years and within the last few months I have made many changes to my diet and I changed my facial cleanser to a more natural one from Burt’s Bees. I only wash my face and moisturize it with coconut oil. Less oil if I am going out of the house but if I am staying home I will usually apply a bit more. I read that coconut oil has to be digested(by bacteria on your face) to provide benefits, which kind of makes sense but I cannot find much to back this up. But just in case this is true, I make sure to apply coconut oil to my clean face and reapply many hours to my less clean face. Also, my complexion is more clear and my acne scars are disappearing fast. Im not sure what the coconut oil is responsible for, but I definitely have never noticed more acne or any other side effect.

Hello! Prior to purchasing a bottle of coconut oil today, I did some research on the effects it had on the skin. Overall it seemed pretty good, although one or two sites did warn about the molecules being too big and clogging the pores. I’m so relieved I didn’t put any on my face yet. I guess it’s just gonna go to my hair, huh.

But I have been applying a mixture castor oil and extra virgin olive oil about less than a week ago, and at first I started to notice some remarkable changes in the glow of my skin, but now I think I’m starting to break out a little. It’s scary. I’m switching to EVOO to minimize the damage and hopefully my face will heal quickly. ><

I am Asian with sensitive skin and had never had serious breakouts on the face prior to using coconut oil. I’ve been getting large painful pimples on my forehead, as well as scarring. I’ve recently stopped and also began using a gentle face wash, and the pimples began to go away. I loved cooking with the oil, but now I’m afraid that it will trigger the acne. I’m allergic to tree nuts but have read mixed opinions on whether coconuts should be considered tree nuts or not. I don’t have problems with coconut oil on my body, but I won’t put it on my face.

I agree, I can’t believe how many people are getting bad results putting it on their face. My face is clear and soft unlike when I don’t use it. It’s been years and I have friends and family who are using it too with great results. I don’t get it!!

Hi there,
I Recently starting reading great things about coconut oil. I purchased the pure,cold pressed,extra virgin, unrefined type in the jar which looks almost solid and opaque, which I read was the best to use. I started putting a teaspoon in my morning coffee (which is really good by the way 🙂 ) You have to stir it in before each sip until you drink most of the oil because it will pool a bit on top of your cup. I also started using it as a night time moisturizer and only at night. I use my normal Philosophy moisturizer that I have been using for a long time during the day. First I have to say I’m in my forties, and that I break out occasionally (usually monthly…women will get that one :/ ), My face will feel dry if I do not use moisturizer, and I do use a pure mineral makeup…. but weather I do moisturize or not…or makeup or not, within a few hours, my face gets really shiny and I usually blot excess oil from my face every day to get rid of the shine. After using coconut oil as a night moisturizer, my skin was GREAT. It felt soft and moisturized but amazingly enough, not oily…It absorbs into the skin. I’ve read that the tiny molecular structure of this oil allows this to happen, which also makes it a great hair oil treatment. Anyway, It completely cured the excess oil production in my skin which has been annoying me for years! I guess it’s what my skin needed…I think it’s amazing! I too did break out after a week or so but I think this may be the whole monthly thing. So I’m going to try it again for the next few weeks to see what happens. I just thought I would share this experience, because anyone with the shiny, excess oily skin will understand how frustrating it is. Everyone skin is different, but I think it’s definitely worth a try. 🙂

I tried the EV coconut oil, and thought it was working great on my skin when applied topically. At first, everything went away and my skin looked great. THEN a horrible breakout. I am still trying to clear up months later, I would advise it is great for cooking, but not for moisture on your face.

I’m glad people are still commenting on this article since I’m probably one of very last ones to try virgin coconut oil on the face and getting confused not being sure if it’s a good thing or not. I actually wanted to stick with the cavemen regimen about 2 months ago, but my skin looked so awfully dry and wrinkley, I couldn’t handle it. I was out of the pure unrefined shea butter I was using before and all I had at home was EVCO, so I thought despite all the warnings I give it a try myself. as expected I started breaking out a little bit at the beginning, small pimples that come to the surface quickly but also heal very quickly. but about 1-2 weeks ago (after about 6 weeks of use) my skin started looking much nicer, clearer, better complexion, no pimples for once, smaller pores. So I thought, great, I already made it through the healing crisis everyone is talking about! but then, I couple of days ago I started breaking out again. a lot. all around my nose and mouth, plus my skin is super flakey and looks worn out. It’s the same kind of pimples I described before, come fast, heal fast. Is it possible to have a second healing crisis? and is it worth it? I didn’t make any major changes in my lifestyle only that I stopped drinking alcohol completely about 10 days ago and that I’m doing more yoga. I believe no one can answer that questions, but I really don’t know if I should stop with EVCO at this point or try a little longer. The thing is, I don’t know what to do instead. I could go back to shea butter, but I’m not sure if it was the right thing. Jojoba never worked okay for me but not that great, I also tried a lot of other oils, like macadamia or almond or pomegranate. Nothing seemed to match my skin. I’m reading about great results with hemp seed oil, but am honestly tired of having to try yet another oil. also hemp seed oil has to be refridgerated, which I find too complicated.

You need to lightly exfoliate the skin, too. It helps reveal new skin, helping turn over the old skin cells.

I’ll tell you what I love and works like nobody’s business. I use it 3 times a week.

You need:

lemon juice from a REAL LEMON
olive oil
sugar
pure, raw honey.

I don’t have ‘measurements’. I just make sure it’s not to runny and will stay on my face. I find a little more honey than the other products, keeps it from dripping. I also use this on my hands, neck and decollete.

Mix all the ingredients together. The lemon juice helps with cell renewal, clearing pimples and blemishes and fading hyper pigmentation from sun damage. The honey…has natural antibiotic properties, keeping acne or blemishes at a minimum.

The sugar…well…..before I allow the make to sit on my face, I softly scrub my face and neck with the suck to exfoliate the dead skin. I suggest wearing a towel wrapped around your upper body for this process. I also exfoliate the decollete. I consider it all to be a complete canvas.

After a gentle scrub, leave on for 10 minutes, the first time around. The lemon juice may tingle or sting. As you get used to is, you can build it up to 15, then 20. I like to keep it on for .5 hour to 1 hour.

If you give this a go, please let me know how it works for you! I’ve never had anyone I shared this with, feel disappointed. 😉

Eva, if it were me, i would stop the coconut oil now. It seems like it’s just not suited for your skin type. Have you tried tamanu oil?? I am using it now and starting to see great results. I got organic tamanu from mynaturalmarket.com 🙂

tamanu oil – never even heard of it! thanks for your reply. before I jump on it, how long have you been using it? and how do you use it? and yes, I already decided, after writing the comment above that I will stop with coconut oil on my skin. will keep on taking it internally though. another thing is that I’m planning to go back to washing my face with bottled spring water only, coz I find the tapwater here too drying. I was using tap water lately out of pure laziness.

I have fairly dry skin and a little bit of acne. I’d like to try extra virgin coconut oil but frankly after hearing all the reviews about the turn outs I’m a bit scared..My mom says that it should work but I don’t want to take any chances with it on my face! But it is great for a moisturizer on the rest of my body;) I love it!

I actually use olive oil mixed with salt or sugar and scrub my face in the shower then just rinse with a light layer of body wash and use bb cream for foundation now instead and my breakouts disappeared.. not sure if that would work for all but my skin was really bad during and after my pregnancy. This seemed to help.

update: I’ve stopped using e v coconut oil more than a week ago, and now I’m really breaking out. I came to this blog more than a year ago because I thought I still had acne, but I actually only had a pimple here and there and was picking too much. but now?? I don’t know if it has to do with the coconut oil, my skin now looks worse than in a long time and while a was still using it, I really feel I’m losing control right now one pimple after the other popping up in my face, hello?? I don’t know where to start again. I’m only using roswater on my skin at the moment, no tap water, no oil, my skin is suddenly super oily, although it was dry before and my mind is racing to find the cause. maybe it’s just a major die off reaction. oh man..

this reaction is caused by the cleansing properties of the coconut oil:
the first few days your skin looks and feels better, but in a week or so some people with more toxin buildup deep in the skin start to break out. but dont freak! the first few days the oil cleaned out your top layers of skin, but it started to soak deeper into the skin and pull out the toxins built up there. if you hang in there and keep applying the oil, it should get better as your skin gets detoxed and starts to clear up. google ‘healing crisis with coconut oil’ for articles and forums to read if you’re still not convinced.

hey thanks for your reply, but if you read above you can see that I was using extra virgin coconut oil for more than 6 weeks. first my skin got worse, then after two or three weeks it got much better, but after 6 weeks it got really awful. so I already stopped using it a week ago and won’t go back to it. I don’t wanna have a ‘healing crisis’ every month. I read all articles I could find and I know, some people have amazing results when they stuck with it, but for me it was too much in the end. also pimples kept on coming back in the same spot over and over, how many times does a pore need to get the toxins out?

The main reason why many oils seem to dry the skin and clog the pores after a while is generally because you’ve been using them “pure”. They trick the skin into producing less sebum, and are not properly absorbed at the same time. You cannot “dilute” oils, but you can emulsify them temporarily with water or anything liquid.

Personally, I’m very satisfied with my oil-based cleansing method, and it basically consists of using little oil on dripping wet skin, massaging thoroughly and keeping adding more water in to make sure oil and water “emulsify” a bit, so that the oil is not too heavy on my skin.
By the way, I use coconut oil.

In fact, pure oil alone will never moisturise properly, since it only greases the skin; water alone can’t moisturise properly either, since it evaporates in no time. As far as I know, the best way should be to emulsify them, so that water makes sure the oil gets absorbed better, and the oil makes sure the water (=hydration) gets “locked” in the external skin cells.

My personal experience is that “mixing” them directly on the skin with a little massage is perfectly fine for me, but I’ve heard other people say that the only stable and effectively mosturising (thus non-clogging) emulsion is the cream-like one, where the liquid phase and the fat phase are stably emulsified thanks to an emulsifier agent.

As always, it’s a matter of tastes and skin types, I suppose 🙂 Hope it helped!

Hi tracy!
So I would love to experience the benefits of coconut oil in cooking, but the problem is, I hate the taste (and smell) of coconut. I’ve tried it in cooking before, but i just can’t stomach it. As there probably aren’t any other oils out there that have as many benefits and can still be used for cooking, i was wondering if there are any other cooking oils with high smoke points?
Thanks much 🙂

Hi Erin, I use animal fats from healthy, pastured animals. If you can find raw fat from a farm (from a pig or cow), you can render it yourself and then a jar of it lasts forever. (google instructions for rendering lard, or rendering tallow). The other option is ghee, which is clarified butter. Butter consists of mostly dairy fat with a little bit of milk solids (the proteins), which is the part that burns. Make ghee and it becomes the pure fat which then has a high smoke point and is very stable and healthy.

I didn’t use much when I tried it as a moisturizer, and my face broke out the next day. I had clear skin beforehand too after I had switched to washing my hair w/ BS and ACV because market conditioner was clogging my pores.

I consume virgin coconut oil (vco softgel) everyday. 2 capsules per day. I also apply vco pure oil on my skin (face & lips) and leave it for 20 min to half an hour before rinse with warm water. works the best for my skin & my body can feel the benefits too; since I consume it 🙂

I’ve been using coconut oil on my face for about two weeks and just stopped today. It was great for a week and now I have horrible cyclic acne all over my chin and temples. I’m thinking of switching to grapeseed oil. Anyone have any experience using it?

Isn’t the common ingredient “phenoxyethanol” derived from coconut oil? If so, this would be another ingredient to look out for in skincare products. I have had a recent experience with severe skin blockage and it seems to coincide with a product that included this ingredient.

I use coconut oil every night before bed and whole day on weekend when I’m home. It soften my skin and fading the pigmentation and freckles. But the best way to use it on your face is apply it after shower when ur face is wet. The water help to spread the coconut oil evenly and that will avoid thick layer of oil on the face which can end up clogging the pores. So the key is moderation!

Coconut oil made my skin feel wonderful at first but then slowly clogged my pores. It also took me months to recover. Recently, I tried Emu oil as moisturizer and same thing happened. I knew it was the oil because I rubbed some on 1/2 of my chest and broke out. The other half was clear. I decided my skin just doesn’t like oil as a moisturizer.

I’ve been using coconut oil as a moisturizer for about 6 months now and I LOVE it! I used to use harsh acne cleansers but decided to try an all natural approach. I incorporate coconut oil into almost everything I use on my skin including my face wash, deoderant,and makeup remover. It’s helped my acne so much and it’s by far my favorite oil to use. I guess it just depends on what skin type you have.

I have been using coconut oil for about 2 years now on my face & chest. These areas are where i get the most acne. As soon as i started using it, it cause me to break out sorta bad because its bringing everything to the surface. After day 2/3 of using it every night my face was clear and i havent had anymore acne! i get a few break outs here there because i forget to use it but it works great for me, my sister mom and a lot of my friends use it also! REMEMBER, at first you will break out because its detoxing your skin and bringing everything to the surface!!!!

I have just started using coconut oil on my face. I wash and moisturise with it and my skin has never looked better!! Everyone is different but don’t be affraid to try anything that is natural. Fijian women use it all the time and there skin is more than radiant.

I’ve only just started using CO both topically to acne and cooking. It is very early days (1st week), but I’ve found it certainly brings cyst-like pimples on my chin to the surface, which previously didn’t want to budge!! As for a body moisturiser, my skin feels softer and more radiant! I am also testing it out on random scars to see if it help diminish these…. Keep you posted! Wish me luck! Scary but anyone suffering from adult acne will understand the measures you are willing to take!!

What do you think about coconut oil as part of a face wash rather than just using it on its own? I have come across a number of cleansers that include coconut in some form (oil, “coconut fatty acid”) and am scared to try them because of it. For example I have heard great things about African Black Soap, but it contains coconut oil. I’m looking for a natural cleanser I can use with my Clarisonic, as pure oil doesn’t work the greatest for that!

Hi Lauren – I don’t know. It seems the consensus on coconut oil is a split. Many MANY people say coconut oil rocks for their skin and acne (and I’ve heard the same about African black soap). But others seem to break out from it, so it all just depends on your skin and whether it likes it or not. Check out this article for more ideas about what you can wash your face with: https://thelovevitamin.com/3477/14-natural-face-cleansing-alternatives/

Figured I’d share my experience with virgin coconut oil – it was recommended to me that I use VCO as a moisturizer on my body, where I’m most prone to acne. So I was applying it to my skin after I showered/bathed daily. After 1 week, all my acne had disappeared and my skin looked AMAZING. A week after that, I started breaking out again – first on my chest, then it spread to my shoulders and eventually my upper back. I figured it was a healing crisis so I tried to ride it out, but after two full months I still had the worst acne I’ve ever had on my body. I stopped using it about a month ago and now have gone caveman (well, I guess caveman lite – I still get water on my body whenever I shower, which is usually every other day). I’m definitely seeing improvements in my skin now that I’ve stopped using VCO but I think it will take at least another month for all the red spots to completely fade. I also noticed while using VCO that my body felt a little dry – not super dry, but it never seemed to be soft and smooth the way that many people who champion coconut oil said it would. I guess that should have been a warning sign that the VCO wasn’t working for me!

I have VERY oily skin . So most of my products are to help treat that. Usually every couple weeks my oily area do get very dry because of everything I use. So, as I was doing an online search about coconut oil to try on my hair I also read that its a great moisterizer. So I said “what the heck” it worked great! The first two times and then I started getting these big zit like bumps on my face and I haven’t been able to get rid of them :/ at first I thought it might be because certain womanly “moments” had occurred. So I continued with the oil and the bumps got bigger and spread more…. coconut oil works AWESOME on hair and skin. Face I would advice not to try it

I imagine that there is a heavy oil build up occuring in te skin, and that a great way to.cleanse the build up would be adding tea tree oil mixed with water to a suspension and rinsing your face and acne prone areas. It is antibacterial and water soluble, I believe that would combat a lot of the break outs you are experiencing

I tried coconut oil myself about a year ago and it made my skin lackluster, clogged my pores, it was very drying, and made my acne worse. However, this is not the case for everyone. The article I just came across (link below) made a lot of sense out of what I had experienced and what others were experiencing.http://coconut-oil-tips.com/beauty/does-coconut-oil-clog-pores/#

Coconut oil is AMAZING!!!! you need to injest it and use it topically and i only use it after cleansing before bed…….I am 29yrs old and nothing else has worked like this for me EVER! I stress take it internally aswell as using it topically. You may think its breaking you out at first…..ITS NOT…..it is pulling out all the blockages and blackheads to the surface and you will experience the breakout come to the surface dry out and then clear like you’ve never been clear before. I urge anyone with acne to try this and stick with it this stuff is truely amazing!! You definetly want organic virgin coconut oil not refined versions and don’t be fooled by the hype there is no such thing as extra virgin its all a marketing ploy! organic virgin is what you want! Remember BE HAPPY and I mean truely happy and comfortable in you’r own skin, its a major key in getting clear, love yourself, you are beautiful!!!

So.. I don’t use it as a face mask, however I use it as an exfoliant for my face by adding one part oil and one part baking soda. It’s very mild on the skin but takes off all of that dead unwanted skin but moisturizes like NO OTHER.. I have a break out here and there.. I use topical vitamin C (all organic) at night and I used to have fairly bad acne and also redness and it has REALLY changed my skin. You just have to find the right combo for YOU! Vitamin C is amazing in it’s own right.

I used coconut oil, and it was not good on my face, it moisturized at the beginning, then dried it out, n eventually gave me a lot of pimples, I love the scent, but dont want to use it again, I am currently using jojoba oil from an organic store, and my skin has never been better, I also mix a drop of tea tree oil for my chin where I break the most, due to Im always touching it . It has helped greatly,I still break out but they r tiny n go away fast, I was recently reading that there are two kind of jojoba oil, clear and yellow, and im really wondering which one is best, or at least which one I should void, also the website says it will clog pores!, so Im little confused, any comments greatly apreciated it. the web is:http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com/jojoba-clear-deodorized-organic-carrier-oil-p-1228.html

I had to stop taking birth control about 8 months ago for medical reasons and ever since i’ve had worse acne then ever!(I’m 29). Upper back, chest, face and neck. FRUSTRATING! I’ve been taking primrose oil(which i read can help), and just started this regimen after store bought cleansers were not helping. I will see if this helps. First steam bath to open pores, then a mixture of honey/lemonjuice/cinnamon/bakingsoda. let sit on face 10minutes. Rinse. Follow with witch hazel toner to close pores. Then coconut oil to moisturize. Any thoughts on this? That’s for my face, as for the rest of my problem areas i have no idea…..

I use primrose oil topically, as I just commented below. I can’t seem to find it local as just an oil so I have tweezers next to my bottle just to pop a little hole in the capsule & I rub it on my face at night. I always wake up with super smooth skin!

I’m 25 and for the greater part of my life have suffered from all kinds of different acne throughout my face. Pills and creams and scrubs never did the trick, and I would try them for large amounts of time to make sure I was getting past the “initial detox” period. Anyway, coconut oil never helped my acne, but I do use it on the rest of my body, though here in Florida it tends to almost be TOO much.

For those of you with the acne issue, I have been putting on a mixture of apple cider vinegar & tea tree oil on my face every night, followed by (alternating) primrose oil (balances out hormones) and vitamin A oil as a moisturizer. In the day I use a regular organic moisturizer. After a couple months I was even able to go off birth control (as it’s been the only thing to help my skin in any way shape or form for years). I have never been able to go out in public without covering up with some organic concealer of some sort but now I can! I know everyone is different, but those oils are great for your skin regardless, especially if you don’t get them naturally in your diet. I also try and stay away from dairy as often as possible 🙂 Hope this helped.

I’m so glad to have stumbled across this – I have been battling my skin for years and years. Last year had great success with clean eating. Saw a HUGE improvement with my skin after cutting out white flour, sugar and processed foods. But fell off the wagon a little and went on a sugar detox at the beginning of January. Saw no skin improvement, so when that was done, started eating paleo. I was using the OCM and coconut oil as a moisturizer and my face is a DISASTER zone. It’s never been so bad. It looks awful and I refuse to “ride it out” I quit the OCM but now i’m not sure what to use for a moisturizer that doesn’t have a lot of chemicals in it?

RIght now I’m using Dr Bronners soap, a diluted ACV tonic and tea tree oil for spot treatment until I find something else to try.

Hi Tracy! As you can see from the trackback above, I recently wrote an article on my blog about coconut oil and how it’s affected my skin. I’d love for you to take a look at it and let me know what you think! Anyway…

Add me to your list of people that coconut oil does NOT work for. My hair loves coconut oil, but my face despises it. I’m so disappointed that coconut oil didn’t work for me, but I’m even more upset about what it’s done to my skin. I don’t think my acne has ever been this bad…but, like you, I’m determined to clear my skin the natural way so, I’m going to try jojoba oil now.

I’ve learned so much from your blog, Tracy, you’re really very inspiring. I’ve already switched over to using manuka honey as a facial cleanser, so I’m hoping the jojoba oil will work for me too.

I’ve been using coconut oil, virgin and organic, as a facial moisturizer for the past two weeks. Like the gal you mentioned it seemed to be a miracle. My skin cleared up and was looking really healthy. Then a few days ago I woke up to a whole face breakout. I stopped with the oil but more blemishes keep surfacing. I think it clogged my poors big time and my skin is trying to purge. This all started because I get a monthly cystic acne breakout and read that I should stop using commercial products. I don’t suggest ANYONE attempt using coconut oil on the face.

As far as I know, the only proof of coconut oil being good or bad is hearsay, there hasnt been any regulated testing on the long term effects, and the amount of saturated fat surpasses most oils. Personally. I use it every day and night and it has worked wonders for my acne prone skin. I also use almond oil, which I like better because of the consistency, but I like that coconut oil is solid to begin with and smells so yummy! I had awful acne and swapped my proactive for coconut oil, honey, yogurt and baking soda. Not only do I scarcely break out but my acne scars are fading really well. So I can’t claim how good it is for you. I understand and appreciate that it’s been along for a long time but there are not enough regulated studies on the long term effects for my liking.

I am so happy to have stumbled upon this conversation. I am 27 and ever since stopping birth control to consider having children I have been suffering with the worst acne of my life. After reading nearly everything on the web related to natural acne treatments, I have come to only one conclusion… Everyone is different!!

I tried using a combination EVOO and Castor oil face wash in December with very poor results while my friend loves this combo and continues to use this daily.

I then tried using honey face masks daily for about two weeks and saw no improvement.
I am no in a’no touch’ phase b/c I realized that my breakouts become much worse during times where I allow myself to pick.

I have decided that during the ‘no touch’ I will try using coconut oil for moisture as needed and I have started alternating honey and cinnamon masks and apple cider vinegar as a toner. I also take some nights off where I only use Aveeno facewash and Aveeno moisturizer. So far, the combination appears to be working, but I am attributing most of the change to NOT TOUCHING MY FACE. I know that this sounds liek a simple solution, but I think that many of us who suffer from acne have moments where we pick and stop caring about all of the warnings about this making things look worse. I have also fallen in love with the ACV, but I would not use this daily as it seems like daily use will be too harsh for my face. I will post back with results in a week or two, but I am already seeing some improvement!

Thanks for starting this conversation… It is always reassuring to find some support!

Hi Julie,
I’m sorry to hear you’ve been struggling with post Birth Control acne 🙁 .. you’re right about the no picking!!! You might also want to check out a few of these articles that might help you with your skin. Vitex is a natural supplement that really helps people with their hormones (and thus their acne) after coming off birth control:

Thanks for the additional advice. I have been considering going back on a birth control to calm things down a bit. Something that I could stop as needed once we set a plan for children. I will look more into taking a supplement before doing that, but for the moment “NO TOUCH” is what I keep saying to myself 🙂

I don’t know if anyone has mentioned Herxheimer reaction yet, this could be why some of you had good results for a while and then had bad reactions. http://biovedawellness.com/2010/02/the-herxheimer-reaction-feeling-worse-before-feeling-better/ check out this website about Herxheimer, it might be what you are experiencing. I’m about to begin using coconut oil on my 29 year old acne prone skin, so I’ve been scouring the Internet for information. Hope this helps someone. 🙂 cheers!

Hey Sarah. I read the info on the link you provided and I gotta say, its not an exact science and you really have no way of telling if your body is in fact detoxifying, or if you are just having a really bad reaction. And in the article there was no mention of massive acne breakouts being an indicator of detoxification. In fact repeatedly throughout the article the indicators are outlined as “flu like symptoms”. I don’t know about you, but I don’t get acne when I get the flu. So to me, enduring pizza face and hoping that its a symptom of healing is a roll of the dice. One that I’m not willing to wager. But that’s just my opinion. I’m vain lol.

Hey all. Thought I would drop in and give you an update. So if you look back, you will see that on March 8th I left a comment about an acne breakout from coconut oil. Todaymy face is ffinally cleared up. A few tiny bumps and discolorations still remain, but nothing I can’t hide with a dusting of mineral foundation. Anyway, the point is that it has taken 17 days to clear up that mess! Even when I get cystic acne its gone in a week. I will NEVER use coconut oil on my face again. But I will continue to cook with it so I can get the internal benefits.

I use only coconut oil on my skin. I do have breakouts and find that it neither helps or hurts my skin. I do swear by it though for sunburns. I’m very fair skinned and burn easily. Coconut oil makes my burn go away and helps me develop a nice tan.

Sad to say I had Normal skin at the time and one blemish then two days later had super tight dry skin with about 6 huge cists and about 20 little red dots ;(
Now I don’t know what to do to clear my face .
CO for hair -I used it as told apply on wet hair after shower leave it on over night wash it out in the morning well I found that while rinsing a ton of my hair was falling out I tried it twice same results .

Hey Cj, for your hair try Caviar hair treatmrnts, shampoos and conditioners, made by Alterna. You can get them at Sephora, pricey, but my hair has done a complete 180° since I started using it. My hair is fuller, bouncier, and looks like the hair of a 20 year old instead of the mid thirties straw hair I was cursed with. Good luck!

I’m an esthetician and I always look things up before I try, but my friend kept raving about using coconut oil as a mask at night. I tried it all over my body and face and woke up with every single pore clogged. I don’t get blackheads, but there were tiny blackheads all over my chest and neck and every pore was clogged on my face. I have oily skin so they say the bigger the pores you have, the more comedogenic coconut oil is. So to fix, I did extractions, a scrub, a clay mask and then a TCA chemical peel. The next day it was gone.

I have a small comment to add; had this weird thing going on with my face, mostly my chin, where it has been so dry and unwilling to absorb a moisturizer.

I have had a moderate acne problem on my chin for a few years (am 27, it started when I was about 22) off and on, and have recently ( in the last few months) stopped taking antibiotics after trying it for about two years.

In any event, it is pretty calm at this point, but my chin has been so oddly red and dry and I was at my wit’s end. I tried unrefined shea butter, but that didn’t work and may have only made it worse, same thing with jojoba oil (sorry, maybe it is good for some people or some conditions) and finally emu oil recommended by the practitioner at my local natural pharmacy (yes, it comes from an emu and no, there is no happy ending for the emu, but I was desperate) which also did not really work.

But, I found some info online about a condition called “facial dandruff,” which sounds incredibly disgusting but really it’s when patches on your face look red and/or bumpy and very dry, and the patches do not get better with moisturizer. The creator of the website recommended oregano oil, which is apparently “king of oils.”

I have been trying it for a few days and it has been helping a lot; I don’t imagine that my face will look perfect but the redness and dryness is receding. In any event, YOU MUST DILUTE OREGANO OIL if you’re going to put it on your face. I am using coconut oil as a dilutor.

The oregano oil is called “Oreganol” and it is “wild source hand picked” P73, from the coop or health food store. It was super expensive, about $30 for a tiny bottle, but it will last at least until the expiration date. First I tried a dilution of 1 drop to 9 drops coconut oil–way too strong because it burned. Then I found another recommendation of 1 drop oil to 1 teaspoon coconut and that has been the one to use.

You melt the coconut oil first, I am using Trader Joe’s, by putting some in a clean glass or jar and resting it in another container w/very hot water, then find some small clean jar or other container to store the final product in, and just make as much as you believe you need, I think I did 5 teaspoons’ worth.

Other advice is don’t go nuts with it, just use a very conservative amount–I have been using a q tip to take out just as much as will stay on it and use that for my whole face. PS: I have very sensitive skin.

I originally read about coconut oil in a Mimi Kirk raw food book, but couldn’t bring myself to use it because I’ve always had sensitive, oily, & acne prone skin. It seemed counter productive to add oil to my already oily skin. I’ve used witch hazel, rubbing alcohol, lemon juice, Proactive, salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, blah, blah, blah. It’s always been a battle against blemishes.
Aound a month ago I began using organic extra virgin coconut oil on my face. I wash with Tom’s of Maine soap in the shower. Then after getting out, before I do anything else, I slather the coconut oil on my face and around my eyes. I just scrape it out of the jar while it’s in solid form & it liquefies in my palm because of it’s low melting point. Anyway, the first week I still had pimples. Then my face started to dry out and there were some dry patches on my cheeks and above one eye. Then my skin cleared up & it’s silky, smooth, and blemish free. I keep touching my face to feel the smoothness & even that’s not making it break out. I ate dairy every single day this week, drank pop, (and it’s PMS week!) yet there still aren’t any blemishes.

I’ve had the worst eczema for years, not as bad as google images but you get the point. I’ve been using ezcema creams prescribed by my doctor for like a decade and it just made my skin worst by thinning it. Coconut oil on the other hand was a miracle, it made my face soft again and didn’t go rancid like olive oil did. Just recently, I’ve noticed lots of bumps on my face that doesn’t seem to go away, they looked hideous in specific lightings and I kept looking in the mirror saying to myself “What in the world is causing this?” That’s how I found about this site. The coconut oil indefenitely caused my pores to clog. I’ve been using it to the extreme, I even used it on my face when I go to bed. My brother kept telling me that oil clogs pores but I didn’t think organic virgin coconut oil would do the same, it all makes sense now. I’ll probably be using jojoba oil from now on as recommended.

Unfortunately, my experience with using coconut oil topically has been a mixed bag. After trying just about every product under the sun to treat my moderate adult acne (natural and not so natural), I read about some of the benefits of coconut oil for the skin. A couple of the articles I read touted the extra virgin variety as being non-comedogenic, so I didn’t think I could really be any worse off for trying it. Ever since I went off birth control a few years ago my skin has been problematic, and I’m really starting to feel desperate. And while I’m willing to settle for anything that works (to prevent scarring and future issues when my collagen production slows), I would much rather find a natural solution. I tried substituting coconut oil for my regular body lotion and facial moisturizer after showering. The oil absorbs fairly well and the first morning my skin looked great which I thought was a good sign. Also it makes a nice moisturizer after shaving. Now though, a few days later, I’m having a horrible breakout (mostly whiteheads) and the pores on my face, neck, and chest are worse off than when I started. I don’t really think this is so much a detox symptom as it is my pores being too large and the coconut oil behaving more as a comedogenic oil on my skin. So disappointing. My husband read an article where the blogger talked about using a steam bath oil of oregano and tea tree oil to open the pores, so I’m going to try that, but I am still at a total loss as to what type of cleansing system to try next. My skin is combination oily/dry and I am starting to see the slightest hint of lines forming around my mouth and eyes. I never thought I would be trying to fight acne and wrinkles at the same time! I know a lot of you ladies must be going through similar issues, so any advice or suggestions are appreciated.

I use the Eminence line for my skin. I have depression and anxiety. I learned that environmental issues, like chemicals, fragrances, etc, in our shampoos, body washes, laundry and dishwasher soap, hair styling products, etc….can alter the brain’s neurons. I wiped out my house of everything….including my skin care.

It’s pricey. Just don’t get suckered in to buying a lot of products. You know need a really good cleanser, and products that are acne friendly. Eminence is completely organic….no toxics, chemicals, perfumes, fragrances. I can’t believe how this line has worked for me! I’m going to be 46 in a few weeks. My hormones are crazy bad. I’m getting A LOT of compliments and now I don’t wear make up (foundation). No scars. No hyperpigmentation (try their skin brightening products if this is an issue for you. Give it 2 months and you’ll be astonished. I promise!). I hope this helps you out.

It pulls bacteria out of your face, it is a natural antibacterial. So if you have a face full of backed up acne it will cause a breakout. If you continue with it it will clear it up and if you keep using it you WILL NOT HAVE ACNE AGAIN. I have suffered many years with acne and even the pricest treatments didn’t work. This is the only thing that has worked. Moisturising with coconut oil and washing with baking soda. Its a miracle! It cures your acne scars with continued use. Dont you want all the bacteria out of your skin!?

Coconut oil on my face has been somewhat odd.
Yes, I have noticed my skin being more ‘elastic’ as well as reduces appearance in my already mild acne scarring; however, I’m getting small bumps on my face now. This may or may not be caused because I put Nivea Protective Lotion for Men on my face as well due to its SPF content and somehow the oil and the lotion aren’t mixing well.

NOTE: I’m a 17 year old male and testosterone is through the roof. This along with my lack of water intake may be the cause of the acne rather than the coconut oil since the oil has improved my skin somewhat

I’ve been using treskin on my skin and have wonderful results. The first ingredient is pharmaceutical grade aloe vera made by a board certified plastic and cosmetic surgeon. I’ve use coconut oil in my food, but prefer aloe Vera on my skin. Message me at kimberlykroland@ gmail
For more information

I just wanted to add, since I haven’t found it anywhere yet: Any kind of oil should never be put on DRY skin.

I’ve found (and not just me) that it makes a whole world of a difference to put oil on wet/or slightly damp skin.

That way it can’t dry out the skin. It balances it out better, and, most importantly you need way less oil, which also can be a benefit.

Also, the detox process sometimes needs much longer than you might think. Supporting the digestive system and doing alkaline baths support this and accelerates the process. Since, if you need to detox it’s not just in the face.;)

I have been using coconut oil as my daily moisturizer for about a year now. I do not use a cleanser or soap on my face, but I do switch between two different micro fiber cloths that are specifically made for your body and face from Norwex that really do a great job of getting all of the dirt, makeup, and coconut oil off of my face and out of my pores. I think the coconut oil does a pretty good job of moisturizing, however, I live in Arizona…so I don’t get a lot of extra moisture from the air and find some days I need a little deeper moisturizer. I also use olive oil as a night moisturizer. I have not had any issues with break outs. I am in my 30’s and do know my skin has changed drastically from my 20’s to now, so that probably makes a difference. Hope this helps someone.

Ive been using organic coconut oil on my hair for the past two weeks and my upper back now has 10 pimples 5 cystic and around my hair line on my face I have 4 this does not work for everyone and im definitely going back to grape seed oil for my hair I love how the coconut smelled but its torturing my skin

I stopped washing my face two months ago and I decided to start using coconut oil as a moisturizer for my body. Since then, I’ve had two eczema patches on my face and coconut oil helped heal both of them within a couple of weeks. It helped reduce the itchiness and redness, making it easier to not touch my face and worsen it.

I’ve washed my face every two/three weeks for various reasons (when I go to auditions I wear makeup/disgusting public pool experiences. . .), and every time I have I’ve used coconut oil. It’s silky, but it’s pretty heavy. I definitely wouldn’t use it on a daily basis, but when water and some type of exfoliant hits my face, it immediately soothes my skin and prevents post-washing inflammation. It’s also been amazing for rubbing on my little nostrils when I’m sick, on my lips, and my eyes/eyebrows (which have been itchy since I was a little kid).

Coconut oil is just an all around amazing oil to use for your body. You mentioned using it as a moisturizer and in cooking but there are more ways to get those benefits and more without putting it on your face.

I think if you have underlying existing acne that is unseen and you use coconut oil and then have issues, its because it was always there. It was just dorment and it is pulling it out of your skin, in a sense killing it, trying to rid you of it. I believe if you stick just with it it will all come out and you will not have issues if you keep with it. It is a deep reaching natural antibiotic for you skin. Let it do its work or you will have acne ‘safely’ stuck within your skin forever. We need to be willing to stick it out for a bit since for many years we have been using things that keep it within our bodies.

I used Coconut oil on my face for 1 year, it did wonders in clearing my acne, on a scale of 1 to 10, I’d say I went from an 8 to a 2 with the help of coconut oil. after a year I started getting fed up that I couldn’t clear my skin any further. that’s when I was told that coconut oil has the potential to clog pores, so I switched to Raspberry seed oil, and I can finally say I’m acne free 🙂

I started using coconut oil on my entire body after showering about 6 months ago and my skin is softer, clearer and younger looking than before I started. I’m in my early 50’s, and though I’ve never looked my age, I have to say that now, women and men can’t tell if I’m in my mid 30’s or mid 40’s. I don’t think coconut oil will clog your pores unless you are living in a cold climate as it has such a low melting point. Your body temperature is about 20*F higher than coconuts melting point and the MCFA’s are very good for your skins immunity bacteria.

I bought some coconut oil a while ago and put it for maybe 3 times on my cheeks (where I dont have acne) and not on my forehead acne…, but then I found your website and read some horrible experiences from people so I stopped using it immediately…After a week my cheeks started to get all bumpy and dry!!! I was freaking out, but then I remembered the coconut oil again. So I think that was what caused the changes on my skin. I applied some benzoyl peroxide cream on my cheeks (which is normally meant for my acne forehead) and afterwards I used some nivea for the next couple days. After a week the bumps were gone and now my cheeks are even softer than before… so Im thinking now that maybe the coconut oil wasnt that bad?

Except for my cheeks, I also used the oil on my entire body. I know I have a candida overgrowth but I never had fungus on my skin. After a week of using the oil , I started to have fungus on my back?! Pretty scary. So I stopped using it for my body also. Now I actually think it might be good for me to fight off my candida, so Im thinking about rubbing myself with coconut oil again after summertime…

A basic rule of detox is that you have to expect a certain amount of worsening before you see an improvement, and in my experience, this was the case with coconut oil for acne. At first, I didn’t see any improvement, and in fact I noticed more cystic bumps on my face in some places that I had never/rarely had pimples before! Despite this, as someone who is always doing one detox or another, I knew that this was part of the process so I continued to use the coconut oil and not only have I stopped getting pimples, but the scars have started to fade away and my complexion is glowing! Once a week after showering, I use turmeric and coconut oil together as a mask for even more detoxing and together, these two natural products have made me look so much better than any of the expensive cosmetics or medicines that I have tried in the past.

I also use it in my hair as an oil treatment and when I shave; coconut oil works beautifully for a close shave that also leaves skin feeling and looking silky and conditioned.

Hi Tracy,
I wanted to give you a little feedback regarding the use of coconut oil topically. I have been using coconut oil on my face for almost 2 months now. I apply it twice a day after I wash up. I am also taking it internally as a supplement. Let me just mention that before I started using vco, I had moderate acne. It would come and go, usually revolving around menstral cycles and all those great hormones:) So for the first week my skin was reacting very well to it. Them things took a turn for the worse. I started to get lots and lots of little bumps, and then some huge cystic type pimples. I was going to stop using it because I was feeling like it was not for my skin and my skin was just a huge mess. But the more and more I researched, (Dr. Bruce Fife, Coconut Cures)I came across information stating that the body can undergo a healing crisis when detoxing. Im definitely in a crisis, hopefully its a healing one. So I decided to continue use. I like certain aspects of using this oil on my face( just a drop or two). It is a sun protectant so no burns and good protection on previous scarring. Also I should mention that since Ive started using the oil on my face, previous scars have drastically gotten better and much less overall redness. Plus some wrinkles have seemed to vanish. It has so many great benefits. Just mentioning again, the most perfect and natural sun protection around! I am fair skinned and it leaves me golden brown, never red. I have dry skin and have been applying it to my body as well. Great moisturizer too. So call me crazy but Ive decided Im going to continue using it on my face for a few more months. Hopefully the worst of the healing crisis is over:) Well I will keep you posted;)Peace,~Amanda

Just wanted to share out experiences with coconut oil and skin conditions.

Both my husband and son are prone to eczema. I learned about CO and bought it. I learned it needs to be 1. organic 2. pure 3. unrefined

My son loves it. It’s helping his dry patches (he uses it topically….we haven’t ‘ingested’ the product). My husband, however, is not having much success. Although he LOVES that it makes his hands feel softer and less dry, new ‘cuts’ are forming. He gets horrible eruptions on his hands to a put where his knuckles ‘split’, making them look like knife wounds. He has an eruption of eczema on his thumb, right down to his wrist. The coconut hasn’t sped up healing, nor improved the condition.

I have read that some people will react negatively to coconut oil. Some have great results. I, on the other hand, do use the coconut on my face. I have an extremely oily T zone. It’s eliminated my black heads and works fabulously as a moisturizer, for me.

I’ve also cleared out all ‘toxic’ products in our home and replaced them with organic shampoos, body washed, hair styling products, etc etc. NO SLS (the chemical that makes products ‘lather’). Regardless of these changes, my husband’s hands are still in bad shape. He coats his hands with the coconut oil all day long (especially after washing his hands).

I hope this info helps some. My momma, who is 72, has found her holy grail in coconut oil. She had such severe dry skin and couldn’t find a product to relieve it. She is so thrilled with this stuff.

yes, we are all individuals, and we all react differently to coconut oil, even though it‘s a natural product. Some swear by it, some do not show any reaction at all and for some it even has adverse effects. You can only try it and see what happens…

I promised an update on the coconut oil (virgin, pure, unrefined) for the treatment of my husband’s hands.

Still no progress. He finally eliminated it and went back to ….’gulp’….Eucerine, which contains ‘double gulp’….mineral oil. It works better on him than the c oil. I’m now working on the ph balance (drinking warm lemon water, green tea, eating cucumbers, broccoli, celery, watermelonds, etc, to help reduce acidity which is the basis for creating pre cancerous cells and cancer, itself) of our bodies, along with the use of Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil. All their products are pure, molecularly distilled, toxic and mercury free. There is also a particular product for skin, hair and nails! (check your local health food store or order on amazon.com). I’m using this line for depression but read and researched the benefits of this product for other ailments. They even make a pet line! Remember, nothing happens over night. My skin is in better condition than it was 6 months ago. My husband still needs more time to allow it to work.

I hope this helps. This was introduced to me by a doctor who uses the environment (chemicals in our home….dish soap, laundry soap, skin care, cosmetics, hair products (shampoos, styling), body wash, etc etc. I’ve been trying to make my home toxic and chemical free, fragrance free, put more plants in my home that produce more oxygen, fight formaldehyde, and other air pollutants. I don’t know if we can remove these ‘issues’ out of our lives completely, but every little bit helps; even the smallest changes.

Above all…..your faith will change the way you see yourself. I focus on God and His will for me and try to live not by the flesh or of this world.

If any one is interesting in learning about the products I’m using and having success with, please feel free to hit me up on here! A lot of the products I’m using, are also helping the planet with recycling, planting trees and using botantical plants, essential oils and organic ingredients in their products.

I have been using coconut oil for months now. I originally used it straight on my face and I had breakouts and I even found it to be a little drying. Now I mix two parts coconut oil, one part grapeseed, plus some essential oils, and it’s working fine. Really pleased with it. Just glides on and feels silky. I have also been using coconut oil as a body cream and its long term effect is not as good as I had hoped — my skin dries out on the arms and legs. I have been experimenting with straight cocoa butter that keeps my skin well moisturized(body).

I’ve had great success with using the coconut oil right after I get out of the shower. I put it on wet skin. I rub it in a little and allow the rest to absorb. I also exfoliate twice a week, which makes the oil even more effective.

Lots of folks seem to have had some success with coconut oil, but for those who had had problems after using it, I suggest trying other natural oils like Olive oil, or Almond oil, these are very light and will never clog up the pores of the skin.

Adding a few drops of Tea Tree oil into either of these will also be of great help if you have acne because of its natural bactericidal qualities

Hi, I commented earlier about coconut oil and how I mix it with grapeseed oil and some essentials for a lovely face cream. I’m now using it for cooking and baking and it’s going great. As for any breakouts, I can use coconut oil straight with no breakouts after a “break-in” period. Love coconut oil. Just have to be patient for worthwhile results.

In Bali, a tropic island, coconut oil is a native oil. So we’ve been using it since ancient time. Mostly we use it for cooking and hair moisturizer. And for my self, I’ve been using it for my hair, it feel great, and just for this few weeks I’ve tried it for my face. I don’t know yet what it will become. I hope it will be great for me.
I’ve found it so hard to find a natural face care.

Im nearing the end of my nightmare experience with my acne caused by rubbing coconut oil on my nasolibial lines. Wanting to get rid of these lines, I read online somewhere that massaging oil on them daily will help to reduce its appearance. Big big mistake in attempting to see if it was true! After 1 week of massaging coconut oil on my lines, I stopped it because I noticed I was getting a few bumps along the lines. Another week later I started getting a major break out of acne along the areas which I massaged with coconut oil. Its been 3 months since and after my depression and fear that my acne will never relent, plus using benzyl peroxide and Diane 35, I finally can see it clearing (fingers crossed this continues). Ill happily have my nasolibial lines over that horrid erupting acne any day… Now for the next battle – the red acne scars.

Hey everyone,
I’ve been eating coconut oil for at least a year now and a week ago decided to start putting it directly on my skin. I choose to this because summer coming always seems to bring extra clogged pores and break outs. The last year and a half I’ve had great skin due to dermatologist visits, following an expensive skincare regime, medical creams, some time spent taking antibiotics and being on the birth control pill. Despite this and living a very healthy life style I noticed some extra blemishes with what I think happened because of summer. This is why I started applying coconut oil directly to my face. Not wanting to deviate too far from my skin care regime when I wake up in the morning I’ll wash my face with water, rub in some coconut oil, leave it sit for a few minutes and then wash it off in the shower with my cleanser. Like some people on here, it was great the first few days and now I’m noticing more pimples appearing very regularly, although they don’t stick around too long, and in areas I haven’t had too much trouble with. I’ve thought that it could just be a detox action because I have noticed blackheads (very prone to around the nose and chin) leaving my skin. If it is a cleanse instead of a breakout does anyone know the time frame? How long it will take to go away? In exactly a month I have a huge modelling job coming up a great skin is pretty important. If it gets worse before it gets better does anyone know how long it will take? Thank you, I understand the post is huge, sorry.

I’m another one that tried using coconut oil as a facial scrub (mixed with baking soda). My skin -did- feel soft right after using it, but it would get soooo oily a few hours later. After about one week of using it, I started getting little bumps all over my face. I pressed on, trying to go for a month. Holy frick, my face broke out soooo badly. It’s been about four months or so and I’m still battling that huge breakout. It’s more contained now, but I’ve still never had it like this before using coconut oil.

This is the info I found and used for my daily coconut oil routine. I’ve had acne most of my life but did not have issues with using the coconut oil the way this person describes. Diet is huge and I no longer consume dairy.

I don’t see the link that I had included with my original post so to sum up what this person had recommended, as well as what I tried…

…once I’m out of the shower I put the coconut oil on my face, rubbing it in like it’s soap. Then I go about a few things and let it stay on for about 5 or 10 minutes. Then rinse it off (I use a hot facecloth). Then (and I think this is what keeps my pores 100% clear) I use a natural toner of apple cider vinegar (mix 3 parts water to 1 part apple cider vinegar). I don’t think I’d ever brave just putting on the oil without following up with the toner. I found my skin was smooth and my wrinkles (I don’t have many) to ease up noticeably. Do this before bed as well.

I used coconut oil for a couple weeks maybe a month loved it did wonders to my face cleared it up and all I kept telling my husband wow its amazing and then I woke up to tiny bumps all on my forehead and broke out worst than I ever have before im told it triggered my skin bc oil and it clogged my pores up im now putrefied to touch it ever again : (

I like to use coconut oil as a moisturizer but I’d be scared to use it everyday single day. I think that’s where so many of us have problems because we get so enthused and use things everyday, sometimes multiple times a day, hoping it will heal our poor skin. Eventually, anything placed on our skin everyday is going to cause problems. But a few times a week and it works so nice! I tend to put too much on but then gently massage away the excess with warm wet hands. Eventually it thins out. And it just works great.

I have acne from pcod and can only use natural products to take away some discomfort and to heal, nothing so far has really worked for me but i have a bit of an obsession with coconut oil for everything. i would use it after applying tea tree oil it seemed to be healing the pimples and bits i had picked at leaving them less dry and painful, but then… after a while my acne started to spread, i told myself it was part of the cleansing and it was just bringing things to the surface, i was wrong.
saying that i believe i was over using, i now use it every couple of days and i can see a slight improvement in my skin
i use a mixture of virgin coconut oil, honey, fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice with some grated rind, sea salt flakes. i use this as an exfoliant and my skin feels so clean and soft after.

I have lived with severe cystic acne since I was a teenager. Now I’m a senior citizen. The best thing I have found to treat it is neem. I like Neemaura neem cream the best. I even use neem soap for bathing. Neem cleans up the infection, even in boils and abscesses. Neem is an oil from a tropical tree that is dubbed nature’s pharmacy in areas where it grows naturally.

The other great product for acne that works for me is 100% aloe vera gel. The kind with no other added ingredients. It is clear, so you can put it on before going to school or work and let it help your skin all day.

Acne is a bacterial staph infection, so it needs something that will combat the staph bacteria. Drying or peeling the skin will not help. I was given radiation treatment when I was young and it gave me thyroid cancer, and did not cure the acne. There is a lot of misinformation all over the place about what to do about acne, because it is a common occurrence, so beware of people trying to get you to buy something from them.

Actually coconut oil is good for you because because it’s the only oil that mimics the oio your body produce and its the only one that can penetrat your pores. Other oils like castor, olives,and ect just sits on top of your skin making it hard for it to breath which causes breakouts. If you’re breaking out ising it topically chances are you could be allergic to coconuts. From mild such as dry scaley skin to huge rashes or break outs. It could be from your diets too. Don’t expect not to break out if you’re ingesting coconut oils and here you are eating high protein diets. Regardless if you eat organic or not. I used coconut oils on my face but my diets consisted of high in fruits and veggies and I have no problems.

I eat a gluten wheat dairy, refined food, sugar free (including fruit) meat free diet… this list could go on (natropaths instructions) so at the moment and my skin is always pretty clear! i started using coconut oil on my face to heal a few scars and i did get results on the scar side of things but like a lot of people here have just started to break out in little clusters of pimples around my face… nothing to major but coconut oil is the culprit here! from now on I’m just using it on the scars alone rather than my whole face! bio oil is my back up plan, perfect primer before applying makeup 🙂

The most effective and wonderful way I’ve ever been able to control my acne. Completely diffused it. My lips have never been so soft for so long. I’m blessed for the discover. I’m 35 and after all these years we have winner!

I used the wrong type of coconut oil on my clear skin for a month or so. And then, overnight, it broke out in little bumps all over my forehead. I am working with a naturopath to clear them. I came off the pill 4 months ago so I think this contributed to the break out also. Love your website! I have been meditating daily.

It makes a huge difference if the coconut oil is organic and in its rawest form. I have been using organic coconut oil and it’s been amazing for my face. Healed up the dryness and made it so soft. Non organic CO is laced with a lot of nasties you don’t want to put on your face. Give an organic CO a try and see if it makes a difference for you

Hi Tracy, I’m new to the site and am battling horrible cystic ance. I’m working with a nutritionist right now on my diet and natural alternatives for health and wellness. I just watched your videos on matuka honey and have ordered some, I’ve been washing with honey for the last month since I read your book, anyways, if I choose not to use raw, natural organic coconut oil to moisture with, what is a good alternative. I naturally have very oily skin.

Hi Gwen,
Tracy is traveling India right now, that’s why I’m replying to some of the comments on the blog in the meantime.
There are lots of other oils you can moisturize your skin with, for example extra virgin olive oil, almond oil, avocado oil,…, depending on your skin type. Here’s an article I wrote about oils for Tracy’s blog. Just have a look at it:https://thelovevitamin.com/3103/that-oil-is-ours-basic-skincare-with-oils/

There is a reason why you break out while using olive oil after a while, and it’s called “healing crisis” and it’s because the Coconut oil clears out all the gunk from DEEP inside your pores, bringing them to the surface and causing you to break out. But if you ride it out, you should get clearer skin. You have to get through the bad to get to the good.

I was always too chicken to put coconut oil on my face, but I did try an organic, grass-fed beef tallow cream once. I wonder if it had a similar molecular composition to coconut oil (both saturated), because my experience was like a lot of the ones being described here. My skin was gorgeous for a couple weeks and started breaking out incessantly after that. It took over a month to start clearing up, even after stopping with the tallow. (I gave it several weeks in case it was a purge, but I’ve had healing crises before and this did not seem like that at all). The tallow was blended with extra virgin olive oil and a couple essential oils. So I don’t know what it was, but I went back to using nothing on my face except for a simple, natural soap.

I’ve used coconut oil in a natural hand cream, and by itself out of the jar on cracked hands/knuckles, but it doesn’t moisturize very well for me…in fact, it seems even more drying. Oh well :/

Hi Kit – yeah I bet it is the same kind of thing, since they are structurally similar! Sorry it didn’t work out so well! It does seem coconut oil is either a dream come true for some or a nightmare for others (and oddly drying!)

I moisturised with just organic virgin coconut oil for 6 months. I wanted to love it, I really did, but it just wasn’t for me. I used it for face and body and had no problems on my body at all. On my face, however, it started off great, but then slowly but surely clogged virtually every pore on my forehead, my temples, my chin and even underneath my jaw. Thankfully they didn’t become infected all at once, but I struggled with constant breakouts here and there all that time. I tried switching to jojoba oil, but it made no difference at the time. The only thing that helped in the end was to go caveman and leave it all alone for a few weeks. Now I’m using the all natural Akamuti range (it’s a UK brand) which is still helping me clear out those last clogged pores. It´s been 6 months of recovery and I’m only now feeling myself again. On a side note, my mum who has never had spots or blemishes in her entire life has no problems using it. I personally would not recommend it to anyone who is prone to clogged pores. It´s just not worth it, as there are so many other fantastic oils out there.

For me, coconut oil kind of has been a miracle. For almost 8 years I struggled with adult acne starting when I was in college. It was pain and humiliating.

I have very sensitive skin and very large pores. Every topical thing I tried made things worse. It was a long battle.

I got to a point where I gave up and started the caveman routine, which helped a great deal. However, because I have such large pores, my face felt dirty most of the time, even after giving it a month or so.

So I began oil cleansing using coconut oil. I rub it all over my face, then put a wash cloth in water as hot as possible from the faucet. I hold it up near my face, not touching it, and allow the steam and oil to work. When the cloth has cooled, after a minute or two, I wipe the oil off.

My skin is the clearest it has been in a decade. Rubbing the oil on my face actually feels like a treat, no burning like BP. Any pimples I do get don’t last as long and heal quickly. My scars are lightening, which is important since I’m fairly pale.

I don’t like to exaggerate, but it has kind of changed my life. 🙂 Confidence, peace of mind, focusing my attention on other things… It’s a good change of pace.

If I sense my skin starting to dry, I only oil cleanse at night and then splash with water in the morning for a few days.

I believe people have had bad experiences, but coconut oil has been what I had been looking for all those years. I’m thankful it has worked for me. I hope it proves helpful to others as well.

thank you so much for your insights. Coconut oil is great, for some – as for you – even the magic bullit. Since we are all individuals, it doesn’t work for anyone, but it’s always worth to take a risk and try it!!! 😉

It does not clog your pores. It is great for your face. HOWEVER, it does make your pores larger and therefore more prone to getting clogged from everything else. It is a fantastic eye makeup remover and wrinkle reducer just keep it localized to that area and wipe off carefully. Also you can use it on a clean face as a mask then wash with warm water and splash a little cold water afterards to close those pores up to avoid clogs, and you’re golden.

Lots of people break out from coconut oil because it is a natural exfoliant. You aren’t supposed to exfoliate everyday, and it seems like many people used this too much over the course of several days. That’s why people also see a reduction in acne scars…because coconut oil gently exfoliates. Google “coconut oil natural exfoliant”.

I would never use this in my face everyday and I don’t plan on trying. I’m thrilled for the people who get amazing results from using this everyday though! I have dry skin but I’m also acne prone and scrubs break me out. I use coconut oil only when my skin gets flakey, which is usually just once every couple weeks. That’s when I know I need exfoliation. Coconut oil gently dissolves away dead skin cells and flakes. You have to really work it into the skin to make sure there isn’t a greasy film on your face. It doesn’t just smooth over flakes, it literally gets rid of them completely.

I do believe that if I used this everyday I would break out horribly. But it really works to get rid of flakes like no other, used sparingly of course.

Hi Tracy!
It is interesting that you just did this article because I have some very recent experience with this! I recently started cutting out wheat/gluten to see if it would help my acne and was really starting to clear up. Even my husband agreed. But around the time it was clearing, I also started using coconut oil topically as a moisturizer/healer and then I broke out pretty badly again. I keep trying to go back to coconut oil on my face since all 3 of my sisters use it and have amazing skin. But alas, it is always bad for me. I have better results with argan oil. So I think it works great for some people, and terribly on others. I stopped now and am hoping to get my skin back to how clear it was!

I have had pretty good experience over the years using it as a face moisturizer ONLY during the winter months. I would never use it in the summer since it is so heavy feeling when it’s hot and you start sweating, but just a thin coating in the morning when the winter is at its coldest has worked great for keeping my skin and lips from chapping without any real issues.

I think it comes down to the fact that everyone is different, plain and simple. I have extremely dry skin; thus,i rarely ever breakout- maybe a pimple a year. On the flip side, I will most likely be more apt to get wrinkles as i get older. I live in Montana, so the winters can get extremely dry (as does my skin). I have found that coconut oil is the only thing that will moisturize my skin during those harsh months. That being said, I don’t apply it all over my face- just in the really dry areas. Like I said already, I think it just depends on the individual. It may come down to the more oily a person’s skin, the more apt they are to have issues when using coconut oil on their skin.

Tips that might help clear up your acne. I wrote a feedback for “Cetaphil soap” on Amazon and like to share it here.
Start using this soap on face/body with washcloths 2 wk ago. It almost clear up all pimples on my face and back. My back still have blemishes, probably scars that will take times to clear, but face is so smooth and I can now use oil-free hypo sunscreen. I think Cetaphil soap is good but use it with washcloth even better.
This “non-soap” bar is very soft and can easily melt/crumble while in the shower. To minimize this problem, I recommend lather it onto your skin and then use a washcloth after.
Additional, search for making your own skin toner using “basil leaf” instead of store-bought which contained alcohol. Grow your own basil its easy.

I started using Melrose Organic Refined Coconut Oil as my younger brothers use it on their skin and have had no problems, Once i got home i went to my local supermarket and got it from the Health Food aisle & was excited to start using. I have had nothing but pimples all over my face and when it finally goes away comes back in the very same spot a few days later. My skin is now dry i wont be using it again and will just ride the pimple roller coaster as it comes seen as i very had as much trouble with my face till now.

Hi, the coconut oil broke me out the first night on my face, next week I put a lighter layer and it was fine. I usually use this for my sons eczema and rub over the whole body, works wonders. Check out my blog to see at coconutzbaby.weebly.com. Right now I’m seeing if it works for dark circles.

I actually have been using coconut oil every morning on my face for over a year, and haven’t had any problems with it. (and my skin was awful when I started using it!). It’s now better and clear, but mainly due to candida cleansing and other things. I do switch to hemp oil in the summer months for a lighter oil, although hemp needs to be kept in the fridge and stains my towels green, so it’s a bit of a nuisance. Like most things, I think coconut oil works for some, not for others.

I tried coconut oil on my body, specially on my legs, as they were very dry and flaky. It got worse after using (organic, extra virgin) coconut oil for a few weeks! I don’t dare to put it on my face, tried it a few times though, but it didn’t feel good. Now I bought Argan oil, heard so much good stuff about it. Anyone experience???

My boyfriend recently (3 months ago) introduced coconut into my diet along with healthy amounts of protein & high amounts of raw greens. I just didn’t realize the amount of coconut oil he was going through each week. 1 & 1/2 jars a week!!! Plus I am a licensed aesthetician who recently switch over to using coconut oil for my facial, hand & arm massage portion of my massage because my massage therapist had introduced it to me. SO ITS BEEN COMING INTO MY SYSTEM FROM EVERY WHICH WAY POSSIBLE!! It was around the time I met my boyfriend & made the switch to coconut oil for my massage (3 months ago) when I began my serious battle with cystic flare ups. It has become something very unpleasant & nothing topical has done the trick. I am a medical aesthetician, I do deep chemical peels, microdermabrasion, 1.5 Retin A, Obagi Nu Derm etc. I just started Doxycycline antibiotic last week in hopes this will heal my face.
Does anyone else have the same experience as me?

Please try daily Manuka Honey masks. I tried everything over the years and NOTHING has worked as well for me as this.

Doxycycline along with Differin/Adapalene and Benzoyl Peroxide and various hormonal treatments gave me an approximate 30% improvement with numerous side effects.

Manuka Honey gave me a 90% improvement! Seriously. Additionally, no other treatment ever gave me the glowing, healthy quality to my skin that this regime did (I also used oil cleansing method in the evenings with Jojoba and Grapeseed oil to remove makeup/moisturise and avoided using ANY other cleansers on my face and prevented any shampoo/conditioner from dripping onto or washing across the skin on my face)

I now don’t need to do them as often and have found that some of the ‘higher power’ manuka honeys might be a little drying. I found the Rowse +10 really good. Any time I get a bit lax on maintenance and break out, I can get it back under control very quickly with the daily masks. You can usually see an immediate decrease in redness after application (be gentle of course – no scrubbing!)

I agree, but beware using anything on your hair that aggravates your skin, particularly if you suffer from back acne or ‘bacne’

I only managed to clear my back acne when I started tipping my head forward whilst using shampoo/rinsing my hair and be very careful to NEVER let it run over my back.

Recently I was tempted to use coconut oil on my hair since I thought maybe it would react differently to my hair than my skin. However my back has started to break out again – clearly it is migrating onto my upper back… oil being fairly ‘persistent’ will inevitably end up elsewhere on your body. My experience with it drying out my hands until they felt like sandpaper was enough to remind me why coconut is not all it is cracked up to be – I feel a bit silly giving it another try really!

Still, at least I am developing a better picture of what works for me and I know how to get back a vastly improved state.

This is what I love about using single ingredients. It is impossible to conduct your own personal ‘experiments’ with commercial products because there are so many ingredients that you simply cannot eliminate the variables.

Hi — I have had a strange experience. When I use cold pressed coconut oil, I break out immediately. When I use refined coconut oil (i.e. not cold pressed), my skin is super moisturized and no break outs. This is strange because conventional wisdom appears to indicate that cold pressed is better for your skin.

I am from India where we use refined coconut oil on our hair and also in some foods. So maybe I have developed some strange immunity to it? Never used it topically on my face until a few years ago.

I thought coconut oil was fantastic initially – it felt incredible on my skin & smelt divine. I used it as a hand moisturiser every time after washing my hands. In my initial zealous worship of the stuff – I told a guy I worked with who had severe eczema that he should try it (I feel guilty since I am not in contact with him anymore & I now believe it could actually make eczema worse)

I have very mild eczema/psoriasis on my lower legs which occasionally flares up with severe itching and small scaly patches (I can control it by never using soap on my body, and applying oils whilst skin is still damp immediately after showering)

Luckily I have never had ANY problems of that sort on my hands. However, I realised after a while of using coconut oil, my hands became very rough like fine sandpaper. There was no pain or itching thankfully, but it became VERY apparent that this oil is NOT a moisturiser (or it could just be that it reacts strangely with my own biochemistry)

I did read that soap makers know that coconut oil is drying and I have heard several other similar stories online.

I REALLY wanted coconut oil to work for me since I adore the smell & taste, but after 6 months or so of persevering, the dry, rough feeling only got worse.

I found that one of the best ways to test oils is to use them as a lip balm for a couple of weeks or so. I have done this with olive oil & realised it caused tiny little spots at the edge of my lips (where I never get them normally) so I knew that it was the olive oil that was causing it. This gave me the information I needed to give oil cleansing a go again, but this time with a different oil. Likewise, dryness quickly becomes apparent and any tingling/itching would highlight a potential allergen.

I have found that Jojoba, and grapeseed are ‘safe’ for me and I am now testing Argan oil since I feel the need for something even more moisturising in certain areas.

People tend to stop using it when its actually working. First you wanna use a thin layer over your skin so it can breathe still, and second Coconut oil goes really deep inside of your pores and pushes everything up and out. So if you do start to use it regularly it could happen. It sometimes will get worse before it gets better, but that’s what it’s doing a lot of the time. I’m just not getting over the break out stage that did last a while ,but I have no acne scars at all, and my skin just feels good it feels cleared out from deep down. Another thing people can try, is only putting it on right after you’ve taken a shower, and let it sit on your skin, and then take a hot washcloth after and lay that over your face for about 15 minutes and then wipe it off. That helps pull everything up really well too. Maybe this will help give some options to some of you!

I use coconut oil on my face, hair and yes, in cooking. But…I use refined, expeller-pressed oil.

Why do I do this? Well, let’s talk about virgins for a sec.

When we’re talking about olive oil, there’s a legitimate difference between virgin and extra virgin oil (if you’re curious, virgin comes from riper olives than extra virgin) and there are strict rules concerning how olive oil is categorized and described.

But when it come to coconut oil there are no such regulations, no quality control, zilch. Nada. There is no industry or government standard. With that said, it’s become fairly commonplace to use “virgin” to describe oil that comes directly from the fresher “meat” of the coconut, to differentiate it from oil derived from the copra (dried coconut that has to be further refined to become edible).

I forgot where I was going with this.

Right! So, back to oils. Refined coconut oil does usually have a lower concentration of antioxidants, but all the medium chain fatty acids – the really healthy bits – are still there, waiting patiently to help our bodies both inside and out.

There’s really only one thing we should be concerned about with our coconut oil, and that’s whether or not it’s hydrogenated. We don’t want that. Say “no” to the… hy…dro? Okay that was a reach but you get my point.

Hey, don’t mean to get all professorial, but a few points of confusion:

* Olive oil is regulated because it needs to be. If olive oil is old or improperly handled, bacterial degradation increases the level of free fatty acids, which taste sour. The terms “virgin” and “extra virgin” describe the concentrations of free fatty acids.
* Coconut oil is self-preserving and is not susceptible to bacterial attack. So levels of free fatty acids are below those of the best olive oil. The best example of this is how coconuts can drift for thousands of miles on a warm sea with the sun beating down on them, wash up on a deserted island, sprout and grow up to be those beautiful palm trees on the beaches. Try that with an olive or just about any fruit or nut and see what happens!

Coconut oil is never hydrogenated because the fatty acids are saturated, which means they have no more room for any more hydrogen. So trying to put more hydrogen on the molecule is a waste of time and dangerous.

I use coconut oil and have liked the results, although I do not usually use it by itself because then it can be too drying, especially in the winter. I mix it with a bit of tamanu or jojoba oil at night and it seems to do a decent job drying up spots as well as further healing old spots.

I used coconut oil for quite a while. I bought a 12 oz jar of it, and I used it EVERYWHERE (face, legs, hands, arms, feet, etc.). As I neared the end of my jar, (about 3 months later) I started noticing some VERY mild breakouts, mostly little whiteheads on my temples and my cheeks, and I NEVER used to break out there, not even in high school when my acne was at its hormonal pubescent worst. I should probably note that my skin is IMPOSSIBLY DRY. Insanely, infuriatingly dry. My nails and my hair are also dry, and I don’t even use shampoo because if I do, my hair gets so dry it literally makes a fuzzly, crunchy noise when I smoosh it with my hands. In the summer, when other people are reaching for drying creams, absorbent powders and blotting sheets, I am still slathering heavy moisturizers on my face, though it is still an improvement compared to my winter skin. However, I don’t think my little breakout was related to the coconut oil. I stopped using it and went back to my former moisturizing oil, which was a mix of olive oil, a little tangerine and grapefruit essential oil, and some grapeseed oil mixed together. (Smells divine and enlivens me in the groggy mornings! Also good for balancing combination skin with some severe dry spots.) But the breakouts did not clear. They kept on for about 6 months, and were not at all cyclical. The moment one spot would disappear, another one would show up immediately. It was constant and unchanging. I tried to think of things I had changed about my lifestyle, and I realized that this time last year, I had my juicer in a permanent spot on my counter, was eating all organic and local produce and meats from a friendly and price-effective co-op, and incorporating many colorful, raw, and natural foods into my diet. Somehow, after we moved, I slipped out of that pattern. We still live within range of our co-op, and I still have that juicer, but for some reason it never came back out onto my counter. I had been eating hot dogs and corn chips and deli meat and canned veg because right after the move, everything was boxed and it was easily accessed and prepared. I slipped into that pattern and never got out of it. I tried cleaning up my diet, removing processed and artificial foods and going back to “real” foods. It helped loads.

The point I am trying to make here, essentially, is that NO, coconut oil did NOT clog my pores, though I still don’t use it on my face (That oil mix I described earlier was still better, I think). I do, however, put it literally everywhere else imaginable, including in my hair (I have very fine, naturally very curly, very dry and frizz-prone hair that actually tends to behave better in extreme humidity, contrary to popular belief, so if that is your hair type, try coconut oil!) and I eat it regularly, as well as doing an occasional oil pull. Works wonders! I recommend it for the face if your skin is crazy dry like mine, and not prone to breakouts (My skin isn’t, as long as I eat real food and only occasionally indulge my inner junk food monster), and if you don’t use it on your face, I cannot recommend it ENOUGH for everywhere else, top to bottom, inside and out. Thanks for staying with me on this one.

I’ve been using REFINED plain old organic coconut oil on my face and it seems like I am reversing time – my face has never been this clear or looked so good! I remember I tried extra-virgin coconut oil a couple of years ago and it broke me out like I was 13 again! Not the kind of age reversal I desired! I think that there is actually something GOOD about using refined coconut oil because it is a lot more hygienic than the unrefined kind! Not everything that is unprocessed is always good! So I’d be aware of insisting that everyone only buy the virgin kind. Just my suggestion. Thanks for the posts, though! Informative nonetheless.

I started using coconut oil in two different ways (Oil Pulling and Topical on my face) and feel it has given my skin a glow that I never had before, not to mention calming my cystic acne on my jawline. My friend told me about “Oil Pulling” not too long ago and said it helped with her cystic acne on her chin. I was skeptical, as all my life I thought that I needed to stay away from oils on the skin and I wasn’t sure what this “oil pulling” was all about. I started this a week ago and I will be oil pulling forever now!

I take a tablespoon of Organic Coconut oil and swoosh it around inside my mouth being very careful not to swallow it. I have to admit I wanted to gag the first couple of times because I wasn’t used to the consistency and taste but it gets easier. The oil pulls the toxins to it and therefore should not be swallowed. (I think you posted a video, Tracy! Right?) I swoosh for as long as I can….about 10-20 minutes. I do this twice a day if my schedule allows: Once in the morning as soon as I wake while I’m making lunches for my kids and getting breakfast ready. Then I try to do another round at night while I’m in the shower. (I actually keep the oil in the shower as a reminder and I use it on my body and face in the shower as well.)

HOWEVER….I make sure that I wash the oil off my face. I never leave it on. (I’m too scared about it clogging my pores) You could say that I use it as a moisturizing mask, both morning and night. I wash it off with an organic aloe vera based cleanser. So far I love how my skin glows and I’m slowly seeing my cystic acne calming down. BTW, I have a usually oily T-zone and notice that my face gets oily by the mid afternoon, but having done this routine with the coconut oil, I haven’t noticed so much oil on my face.

It’s only been barely a week but I’ve definitely noticed a difference. I do however take supplements: vita c, Turmeric, Pantothenic acid, N-acetyl L-cysteine, L-Carnitine L-Tartrate, along with my P.M.T multivitasupplement (because I can be a raging b***h at times), and probiotics. I’ve noticed a difference in my skin since taking these supplements and using an aloe vera based cleanser and moisturizer but I still have the stubborn hormonal acne around my jawline so….

Tracy, I’m going to take your advice and take it up a notch. I just got the Estroblock, Burdock root, Thorne SAT, and Vitex. I am excited to incorporate them into my daily routine and see if it makes a difference. I really HOPE it does because my dermatologist suggested Accutane and I DO NOT want to go that route. I’ve tried EVERYTHING from bp, salicylic acid, antibiotics, retin-A, facials once a month,Birth Control pills, etc. I really think my problem is internal. I’ve started drinking herbal teas (yogi: skin detox, liver cleanse,) and am trying to go gluten free. I am a indoor cycling instructor and teach classes 3-4 times per week, and try to practice yoga at least 2/week. I feel like I can eat a little cleaner so I’m working on that. Hopefully I will notice a change in my skin. I’m in my 30’s and don’t want to deal with this for the rest of my life.
Thank you for all of your advice and suggestions!

I have been using coconut oil on and in my entire body for 2 yrs now and I love it! I am 52 no dry skin or breakouts. Only skin problem is when I break down and eat poultry. I found out at age 48 that my skin issues were due to a poultry allergy…go figure!!!

I tried coconut oil as an “oil cleansing” method on my face… for the first week… absolutely beautiful, cleared up my acne great, reduced my oily-ness. but then on the 8th day.. BOOM an explosion occured on my face. It truly was a NIGHTMARE. it took my skin 9 months to recover. absolutely awful.

The only reason you break out if you put coconut oil on your face is that it cleans out your pores, taking out the dirt and nasty things you wouldn’t want. These nasty things in your pores are the reason they cause continuous acne that never seem to stop. With coconut oil and it’s antioxidant, it cleans out your pores which does cause a breakout for some people but when it’s gone, you skin should be newer and softer than before. There are great benefits and it’s not going to work for everyone but I guarantee it will work for the majority of you. My makeup artist told me this when I had this sudden breakout that I’d never had before and it helped me so much.

It’s interesting I have been using coconut oil topically for a few days now because I read how it works wonderfully for KP aka chicken skin which I have siiiigh, However yes I see that my “goose bumps” as everyone thinks they are have smoothed out considerably in the last few day (my jaw literally dropped at how fast I began to see improvement) but I have been getting pimples everywhere when I had never had them before like arm, legs, buttocks, stomach. I thought maybe the coconut oil is pulling impurities out lol but now I don’t know!! I love the results for my KP and don’t want to try laser peels and Vitamin A craziness so now I am at a crossroads. Maybe I will ingest it and see if that works for the KP. How much do I need to ingest a day?

I think you have to be careful about the quality of coconut oil you use on your skin. I’ve been using, organic, virgin, cold pressed coconut oil – the kind you cook with, on my face for months and whenever I miss one or two applications I break out. As soon as I restart, my skin clears up. I’m going to start applying it all over my body after showers from now on. I love what the oil does to my skin- looks younger and smoother.

I had the worst outbreak of acne of my entire life at 30. My body was covered from the top of my head to my waste. My neck was the worst, and my back and chest. For 6 months I ate a vegan gluten free diet and took caprylic acid, and only got worse. One day I gave up and ate how I wanted, and I completely cleared up! However, I have an autoimmune disease. My skin stayed clear, but yeast problems returned with a vengeance. I’ve returned to a clean diet, and caprylic acid, and acne has returned. It’s not normal acne. It’s extremely painful, and parts of my skin are skaley/crusty/painful. Doctors just say it’s acne, but I know it’s more. My only guess is it’s yeast coming out of my skin. But why caprylic acid or cocount oil would make that worse confuses me? Why is it when I feed yeast my skin is good, and when I try to starve it, my skin is painful to live in and look at.

I’ve been using a mixture of coconut and lavender oil to cleanse my face in the shower every day for about four months, and so far so good. My skin seems to love it. I was getting some dry spots as my acne was healing up, so I just started rubbing some Vitamin E oil on the dry spots (VERY sparingly, it’s sticky). It seems to be working great. And I have very oily skin, but apparently putting more oil on it doesn’t seem to bother it!! (I am also taking supplements recommended by Tracy & Fran @ High on Clear Skin).

Yes I know how wonderfully Coconut Oil works on my acne prone sensitive skin dealing with all issues of acne, pimples and even the dryness and redness caused by anti acne products, only condition being that it should be pure and organic.

Coconut oil was good for me for four weeks or so. But then it started clogging the pores on my nose. Started noticing blemishes that were not there before. Currently trying to treat that with Aloe Vera jel and argan, really hope it goes away.

Am I the only one who has gotten body acne and no face acne? I love how it feels on my skin for the most part and it actually seems to have exfoliated my face and my pores but as for my chest and occasional arms and legs I have had outbreaks and I’m not sure what to make of it. And then these outbreaks disappear and new ones pop up and it’s so strange but part of me wonders if my skin is just adjusting and I should see it throigj

I get emails all the time from women who have started using coconut oil as a natural “cure all” for their acne and things go from bad to worse. I agree that it’s great to eat or use as a body moisturizer, but on the face it creates too many problems for far too many people!

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